


Dreaming With Our Eyes Open

by Zetal (Rodinia)



Series: Soulmate Dreams [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Anxiety, Dragon Jokes, Family Issues, Ill-Behaved Press, Kissing Medals, M/M, Soulmate AU, character injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-17 04:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 30,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10586337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodinia/pseuds/Zetal
Summary: Yuuri's life in Russia is beginning for real.  He's got a skating season to compete, but he's got a settled direction for his life and a goal to work toward - and people around him who aren't going to let him settle for setting that goal too low.  Look out, Japan Senior Nationals and Junior Worlds.Viktor's the happiest he's ever been in his life.  He's got his beloved dog, the best coach on the planet, the soulmate he'd been dreaming of for years, and a bright future as a rising star in figure skating.  Silver in the Olympics, bronze at Worlds and the Grand Prix Final... that was last year.  This year, he's going for the gold.That doesn't mean life gets boring, especially when an old friend of Yakov's reaches out to him for help.Sequel toDream ConnectionandReality Check.





	1. Chapter 1

There were days when Yuuri couldn’t believe that this was his life now. A dime-a-dozen figure skater like him, whose only special quality was his willingness and ability to work for hours at a time, didn’t seem like he belonged here. He’d gone from having no proper coach to skating for quite possibly the most prestigious coach in the world. He was fourteen years old, living in a foreign country, at the home of a former prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet. Who happened to be his ballet instructor and choreographer. In a weird way, living in Hasetsu had prepared him for one aspect of his current life: in a small town, you have to think about how people will view what you’re doing because everyone knows everyone and it didn’t take long for rumors to spread. It’s just that now he didn’t know the people who gossiped about him.

There’d been no gradual easing in to being famous. As soon as it became known that he was Viktor Nikiforov’s soulmate, Yuuri became a subject of fascination around the world. Then he started auditioning to train with Yakov, and there were people all over who knew his name. And then he took silver in a Junior Grand Prix event, and it seemed like things had gone nuts.

One good thing had come out of the fame. Yuuri had a new friend. Phichit Chulanont may be eleven, and living in Thailand, but they’d just hit it off after Yuuri had sent him (technically, his older brother, but Phichit was the one who actually used the account) a friend request on Facebook after Phichit’s fan letter. After watching a couple videos of Phichit’s skating, Yuuri was convinced that he could be great. Viktor agreed. The joy Phichit brought to the ice was infectious, and with a good coach, Phichit would make it far.

But for now, Yuuri had a competition to focus on. Tomorrow he was leaving for his second Grand Prix event, the Pokal der Blauen Schwerter, in Germany. With his second-place finish from Romania, he stood a decent chance at making the Finals. Viktor was sure he could do it. He just needed to live up to Viktor’s faith in him.

Yuuri wanted Viktor’s help with his triple loop. It had been a double in the first competition, but he was going to try to go for the triple this time for the points. Christophe had been over 60 for his short program in his first event and would probably be higher, so if Yuuri wanted to win, he needed to do better. He’d only just gotten over 55. Normally, he’d ask Misha, but Misha was out with the flu, and Georgi was busy teaching Mila to do an axel jump. Viktor had been called to a meeting with Yakov, though, so Yuuri was just going to have to wait. In the meantime…

Viktor let out a piercing squeal and hugged Yakov. Everyone on the ice stopped what they were doing and turned to stare. Viktor came over to the rink as quickly as he could on skates and hugged Yuuri. “I get to go with you if you say it’s okay!”

Yuuri hugged back with a big smile. “Of course it’s okay with me, but what about…”

“I’m supposed to be resting my ankle anyway after that sprain yesterday so that it’s all healed up by November!” Viktor shrugged. "Being injured is never fun, but at least I'm getting something good out of it."

Yuuri laughed. Viktor was so ridiculous. “Well then. It’ll be good to have you there.”

“And Chris will be there, too! This is going to be so much fun!”

“Vitya, either get on the ice properly or go do something productive that won’t hurt your ankle. Quit distracting Yuuri.” Yakov scowled out at the skaters still on the ice. “What are you looking at? You all have work to do too!”

“Okay!” Viktor took off his skate guards. “Come on, Yuuri. Show me that triple loop.”

 

Yakov, Viktor, and Makkachin came over for dinner after practice. Lilia wasn’t going, so she’d agreed to look after the dogs, and with both boys there, it just made sense for Yakov to stay over as well so they could go straight from there to the airport.

Yakov also wanted to talk to Viktor about something over dinner. “An old friend called me earlier today, and I’ve been thinking about him ever since.”

Viktor swallowed the bite of cabbage he’d just taken. “You have old friends?”

“Hush. Kolya and I went to school together, and his daughter Irishka skated for me until she retired… shortly before you started with me, in fact.”

Viktor thought back, trying to remember. Ah, well, not surprising he couldn’t, not if she’d retired before he started. “Okay. What’s that got to do with me?”

“Irishka was in a car accident this morning, and although they expect her to survive, it will be quite some time before she can care for herself, let alone look after a young son. Kolya’s own health isn’t all that great, so he’s not sure he can keep up with both Irishka’s care and looking after the boy.”

Lilia pursed her lips. “The last thing Irishka would want is to let Lev take him, but is there another choice?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to Viktor about. Vitya…”

“Your skaters are like your family. If Irishka needs help, and you can give it, you will.” It was one of the reasons why Viktor had never even considered another coach. Viktor himself was living with Yakov because of that. He was old enough to move out, now, he just hadn’t wanted to until he was moving in with Yuuri. “It’s terrible timing, but when we get back from Germany, I can find an apartment.”

Yakov’s brow furrowed. “You don’t have to. There’s room enough for two boys at my house. I’m not going to stop you if you want to leave, you know that, but I wasn’t just going to bring him in without having talked to you first.”

“Oh! Okay. I’m over here half the time anyway, if you don’t need the room then I don’t see any problem. If I can’t get along with the kid, I’ll just spend even more time here.”


	2. Chapter 2

Staying up late playing Call of Duty with Viktor was not the smartest decision Yuuri had ever made. The flight was early, and Yuuri tended to be exhausted by travel anyway. It wasn’t hard to convince Viktor to stay at the hotel and take a nap instead of immediately running out shopping or sightseeing, at least. They would be sharing a room, despite the inevitable rumors that would come out. 

Viktor woke Yuuri up around 6:30. “Chris is here! He wants us to go to dinner with him, and then go wander around the city.”

“Oh. Sounds good.” Yuuri hauled himself out of bed and started looking for his glasses. “Does Yakov know?”

“I told him. He already knew I’d be running off, I always do. He seemed a little surprised we were taking Chris with us, but not at all that I was dragging you out.”

Finally, Yuuri found where his glasses had fallen from the nightstand. “I wonder what the reporters will make of us taking Chris with us.”

Dinner was fun. Christophe found a place that had amazing sausages, and afterwards, the three boys explored the city. Christophe got to experience what it was like to go about with Viktor when they walked through a park. A group of teenagers ran at them, looking for autographs and selfies. At first they were entirely focused on Viktor and Yuuri, but one of the girls recognized Chris’s curls, and he got dragged into the madness.

Once they walked off, Christophe raised his eyebrows. “Is that normal for you two?”

“Yes. Well, for me, this is the first time Yuuri and I have been out together anywhere but St. Petersburg or Hasetsu, and hometown fans are different.” Viktor wrapped an arm around Yuuri. “It’s going to become normal for both of you, too. They’re fans, so be nice.”

“You make it sound like Yuuri isn’t famous in his own right,” Chris teased.

“That’s because I’m not. If I weren’t Viktor’s soulmate, I’d be one of the nobody skaters just starting to make their name. In a couple years, maybe it’ll be a little more equal, but for now I’m definitely the celebrity partner instead of the celebrity.” Yuuri was looking forward to that. Maybe, if he could do enough himself, the reporters might back off on the narrative of him not being good enough.

Back at the hotel, Viktor booted up his laptop to see if there was anything about them. He started laughing. “Yuuri, come see this!”

“Hmm?” Yuuri came to look over his shoulder. The headline Viktor pointed out read “Nikiforov Spotted With Swiss Skater”, with a subheadline of “Friends or Something More?”

Yuuri laughed, too. “Are they going with he’s your true soulmate, or the two of you are together while you wait for me to grow up?

Viktor clicked the link and skimmed the article. “Both. They also mention the possibility that we’re just friends, since after all you were with us. They even suggest it’s possible that he’s your friend and I just tagged along because it’s easier to wander around if you have someone who’s of age with you. They’re just throwing darts and letting the reader decides what sticks.”

“Heh. Wait, I love that one!” Yuuri pointed to the last bullet point. “Yakov recruited him to hang around with us as a chaperone?”

“Well, Chris is part of the reason Yakov let me come this time. He says it’s good to have friends among the other skaters, and he remembered us hanging out with him in Tokyo.”

“But Yakov doesn’t seem to care what we do, as long as we do it discreetly. He’s not going to recruit chaperones for us.”

“It’s not that he doesn’t care. It’s that he trusts us.”

 

Practice the next day went smoothly, and afterwards, Yuuri and Viktor joined Chris in going to some of the tourist attractions. Viktor pretended to be disappointed when the castle turned out to be a castle instead of a front for a ninja house. “Hasetsu’s castle is much cooler, Yuuri.” Yuuri was fascinated by the petrified forest. Chris was most interested in the monument to Karl Marx. “I guess you guys are used to it, being in Russia. This Cold War stuff is so interesting!”

Yuuri and Chris waited together for their turns in the short program. Both ended up in the last group, so there was a long time to wait. Yuuri was second in the group, Christophe fifth. There were a couple skaters in the earlier groups who beat Yuuri’s score from Romania. Christophe noticed Yuuri’s flinch when the second one was announced. “Don’t worry about it, Yuuri. Your program’s better now too, so just go out there and skate like you did last time.”

Yuuri smiled. “Easy for you to say, neither of them beat your old score.”

Once again, Yuuri made a statement right away with his beautiful double axel. His spins were a little cleaner, and the confidence from having skated the program well before showed in the choreography. He hit the triple loop well, and while his landing could have been better, he at least didn’t touch the ice with his hand. He changed the second jump of his combination from a triple to a double toe loop, and once again finished strong.

Yakov gave Yuuri the usual lecture in the Kiss and Cry while they waited for the score. At the end, he asked, “Why did you go for the double? You looked fine.”

“I wasn’t sure about it, so I went for the safe option.” He probably could have handled the triple, but...too late now, anyway.

“You’re going to need to be prepared to take risks, Yuuri. Right now, this is a good time.”

“Yes, Coach.” Right then the score came in – Yuuri could hear Viktor’s screaming above the rest of the crowd’s applause. He’d improved nearly six points, coming in over 61 to put him in first.

Christophe met Yuuri with a quick hug as he walked back to the holding room. “There you go. Now you’ve put the pressure on me to go out and be better than I was before.”

“Good luck!”

Chris ended up beating Yuuri, but no one else did. Viktor had hugs for both of them when they came out. “I’m so proud of both of you! Those were beautiful!”

Chris was all smiles. “You know, Yuuri, a second silver is likely to put you in the finals. That would be so much fun, because a second gold will put me in, and it would be a bigger shock for Viktor not to make it than it would be for him to get in too.”

“That would be fun.” Yuuri’s eyes glazed over a little, though. Finals? Yakov had said he had a good shot, but sitting in second place now made it so much more real.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Free Skate

There was a day off between the short program and the free skate, which Yuuri and Viktor spent with Christophe in the city after practice. Yuuri didn’t sleep well that night. Viktor’s soft snores usually relaxed him, but tonight, it wasn’t helping. People were expecting him to make the Finals now. Yakov wasn’t happy to see Yuuri hadn’t slept well, and made him take it easy during morning practice.

Once again, Yuuri hung out with Christophe to stretch and warm up while they waited. They would be the last two skaters, so they had a lot of time to wait. The longer he waited, the more nervous Yuuri became. No one started breaking 100 until the group before Yuuri’s, which should have calmed him down, but only started him worrying again about the judges being difficult.

Yuuri’s group warmup didn’t go well. He fell on two of the jumps he tried. Yakov frowned as Yuuri came off the ice. “What’s on your mind?”

Yuuri blinked at him. “Hmm?”

“When you start missing jumps that badly, it’s usually because your head’s not on the ice. Where is it?”

“Finals." Yakov kept looking at him, so Yuuri explained. "If I do well enough here, I can go to the Junior Grand Prix Finals.”

Yakov nodded. “Forget about the Finals.” Yuuri’s eyes went wide. “You should be going, but that’s not what you need to be thinking about. You’re aiming for 115. That’s what you should be thinking about. If you can do that, the Finals will take care of themselves.”

Yuuri nodded. He could try to do that. “What does Vitya say I should get?”

“115. He’s been right so far.”

When Yuuri took the ice, he tried to shove the thought of Finals out of his mind. He needed to improve his score from Romania if he wanted to hold onto his second place finish. 115 would give it to him. Viktor said he should get that. He wanted to prove Viktor right.

The first jump went reasonably well, but he got tangled up on what was supposed to be a triple flip and came out of it early, dropping it to a double – and falling, on top of that. He recovered with his next jump, a double axel-double toe loop combo that he was very comfortable with, and got himself back on track. His spins and step sequences were all good, particularly his layback spin, but he touched down on a double Lutz. By the time he landed his finishing triple Axel, Yuuri was dreading going over to Yakov. He’d blown this one.

Surprisingly, despite the horrible showing, Yakov’s lecture wasn’t that much worse than usual. “I’m sorry, Coach. I just…”

Yakov shook his head. “Don’t apologize. Your bad day may have been caused by your anxiety, but bad days are part of being in this sport. Do you know about the time a couple years back where Viktor finished fourteenth in a competition he was expected to win?”

Yuuri put a hand to his mouth. “I’d seen that, but I figured there had to be something going on or he was hiding an injury. All I saw was the performance on YouTube and the score.”

“Get Vitya to explain to you exactly why he couldn’t hit a single jump that day. Bad days happen. You messed up. When you fall on the ice, what do you do?”

He'd just done that. What was Yakov getting at? “I get back up and finish my program.”

“You’d better. So when you have a bad day, you get back up. Next competition, you do better.”

Yuuri’s score came in then. 101. His combined score put him in fourth, and Christophe still had to skate. Yuuri couldn’t bring himself to hope for Chris to mess up worse than he did, so it looked like he wouldn’t be going to the Finals this year.

Yuuri went out into the stands to sit with Viktor to watch the medal ceremony. Viktor hugged him. “I’m so proud of you, Yuuri!”

“Why? I screwed up! A lot!” What was there to be proud of? Even for a soulmate as stubbornly proud as Viktor?

Viktor beamed. “Do you know how many fourteen-year-old skaters would kill to be able to say they ‘screwed up a lot’ and still be over 100? You, just a month ago, would never have believed me if I told you that! Look how much better you are now.”

Yuuri turned red and looked out at the ice. Seeing Yakov talking to Chris’s coach Josef reminded Yuuri. “Yakov told me to ask you about the story behind your fourteenth place finish a couple years ago.”

Viktor laughed, blushing a little. “He would. This should make you feel better about your anxiety, anyway. I couldn’t land my jumps that day because I’d snuck out of the hotel and wandered around the city… in brand new shoes that didn’t fit very well, because I’d bought them big to grow into. My feet were so blistered the day of the free skate that even skating in a straight line was torture. Jumps, spins, I could not do it. Yakov wouldn’t let me blame it on a foot injury. He insisted that I call it what it was, I was foolish and messed myself up.”

Yuuri snickered a little. “Okay. Even anxiety is a better reason than that.”

When Yuuri logged into Facebook later that evening, there was a message from Phichit. “Do not look at social media. Viktuuri Fan Club has this.”

“Phichit? Are you awake?” He shouldn't be, it was really late in Thailand, but with Phichit you never knew.

“Hi! Not for long. Are you okay?”

“Not really. Viktor and Yakov and Chris keep saying it’s fine, everyone has bad days, but I messed up.”

“Well, they’re right about everyone having bad days. You would not believe the grade I made on my math test. 3 out of 20.”

Yuuri's jaw dropped. “Phichit!”

“Nothing I can do about it now, other than study harder and do better next time! And by study harder, I mean study instead of watching figure skating all night.”

Yuuri had to laugh. Nothing ever seemed to get Phichit down. "Thanks for staying up to talk to me, Phichit. Go to sleep."

"Yes, mom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hides* *leaves cookies*


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere!

Viktor was a little disappointed that Yuuri hadn’t qualified for the Finals, but he couldn’t imagine Yakov wouldn’t let Yuuri come along when Viktor went. Besides, the growth Yuuri had shown was amazing! A little confidence and a gentle push to try harder programs than he thought he could do, and it was like Yuuri was a whole new skater. He’d overheard some people in the stands during the short program wondering who the Japanese skater was and why they’d never heard of him before, and it made him smile even now, thinking about it on the flight home to Russia.

Less fun was the ridiculous media. They’d made quite the deal out of Viktor and Yuuri spending so much time with Christophe, and then Yuuri messing up his free skate. Speculation included everything from Yuuri was jealous of Chris and it distracted him, to Viktor had, ahem, screwed up Yuuri’s focus, to the straightforward Yuuri simply wasn’t good enough. Phichit had been all over the rumors, along with the rest of the Viktuuri fan club.

Most of the things, Yuuri was able to laugh off. The rumors that Chris or Viktor had somehow sabotaged him for whatever reason upset him, but the ones about Yuuri not being good enough went straight to heart. Viktor and Yakov did their best to be voices against the anxiety, but it wasn’t enough, at least not yet.

“Yuuri?”

Yuuri looked up from the schoolwork he’d brought with him. “Yes?”

“What’s going on with the search for someone to talk to?”

Yuuri sighed and closed the math book. “It’s a little tricky. Obviously, we need someone in or near St Petersburg, preferably one who knows how to work with athletes, who takes adolescent patients instead of just adults, and also can do sessions in English since I don’t speak Russian well enough. Yakov thinks he’s found someone and I’m going to talk to her next week, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Viktor squeezed Yuuri's hand. “Good. I hope it works out for you.”

 

On the drive from the airport, Viktor noticed something odd. “Yakov? Isn’t Lilia’s the other way?”

Yakov didn't look away from the road. “Yes.”

“Where are we going?” Yakov wouldn't kidnap them, but Viktor was eager to see Makkachin.

“I talked to Kolya before the flight. Irishka’s leaving the hospital tomorrow, so I’m going straight from here up to Moscow. You should plan on spending the next couple of days at Lilia’s, so we’re going to my place so you and I can get anything we need.”

“Oh.” That was a good reason.

“Don’t forget you need to check in with Lidia tomorrow morning." Viktor wouldn't forget. Lidia was the one who could clear him for full practice again. "Yuuri, you have tomorrow off if you want it.”

Yuuri shook his head. “I need to practice.”

“Don’t forget to rest. You have six weeks before Junior Nationals, so you don’t have to push yourself too hard now.”

“I won’t. I just need to get on the ice and bury those memories. I'll take a day off soon.” Yakov gave Yuuri a skeptical glance, but let it go.

 

Yakov came back three days later. There was a small blond boy with him, holding tight to a stuffed tiger and scowling at everything. “Viktor, this is Yuri Nikolayevich Plisetsky. Yuri, Viktor Fyodorovich Nikiforov.”

“Hello, Yuri. Does your tiger have a name?”

Yuri glared at Viktor. “Sasha.”

Viktor dropped to one knee to pet his dog. “This is Makkachin. She’s a poodle.”

“Cats are better.”

“Give Makka a chance, I think you’ll like her. She likes hugs, if you need someone to hug once in a while.” Makkachin had definitely been helpful when Viktor was dealing with his mother's illness and death.

Yuri just scowled more and adjusted his bag. He followed Yakov up to his room. Yakov came back downstairs without him. “He didn’t want to leave his mother and grandfather. I don’t blame him.”

“What are you going to do with him during skating?”

“I’m going to bring him to the rink, put his mother’s old skates on him, and see what happens. Irishka was good enough to skate for me, it wasn’t just a favor to an old friend, and his father was an Olympic ice dancer.”

Viktor smiled, wondering if Yuri would bring the tiger. “Lilia said that Irishka wouldn’t want Lev to have him?”

“Lev abandoned her when she told him she was pregnant with his child. He also took pretty much all of her money, and she’d been retired long enough that endorsements and photoshoots were not a reliable source of income. Yuri doesn’t know anything about his father except that he’s gone, and Irishka wants to keep it that way.”

“Wow.” Viktor was incredibly curious now. Had they been soulmates? What kind of asshole could do that to their soulmate?

Yakov changed the subject. “How’s your ankle?”

“Oh, it’s good! Lidia cleared me for full practice. Misha’s back, too. Yuuri is planning on taking tomorrow off, if that’s okay.”

“Is there a specific reason for tomorrow, or would the day after work?”

“Tomorrow’s the appointment with the counselor, and he doesn’t think his head would be anywhere near the ice. He'd probably come if you need him for something, though.”

“Hmm. Fair enough. Any media developments I need to know about?”

“The usual, the rumors with Chris, nothing new or weird. Oh! Yadama wrote a story asking Japan to continue to be proud of their skater and support him.”

“That’s good.”

“I made Yuuri print it out to read when he starts seeing too many discouraging articles.”

“Can’t hurt anything. I hope the appointment goes well tomorrow.” So did Viktor. He never wanted to see Yuuri disappointed like that again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone say hi to Smol Angry Kitten!


	5. Chapter 5

Yuri was still scowling the next morning, but when Yakov handed him the skates and encouraged him to try them on, the scowl lessened. It disappeared entirely when Yakov told him whose skates they were. “Mama’s skating was so pretty. Do you think I can do that?”

Yakov helped lace up the skates so he could see how they fit. “Not right away, and not exactly like her, but if you’re willing to work as hard as your mama did when she was a girl, I think you’ll be good."

“Good enough to win some money and help Grandpa?”

“Possibly.”

Yuri’s green eyes seemed to glow with determination. “Then I’ll work as hard as I can.”

At the rink, Yakov introduced Yuri to the other skaters. “Yuri and Yuuri? This is going to get confusing. You’re Yurio,” Mila decided.

Yurio’s scowl came back. “Who’s Yuuri and why isn’t he the one changing his name?”

“Yuuri’s our rinkmate who isn’t here today. He was here first.” Mila stuck out her tongue at Yurio. “He’s nice, too.”

Yurio scoffed. “Sounds like a loser.”

The kid was six, so Viktor restrained himself from grabbing him and shaking him like he wanted to. “Yuuri is not a loser. He’s a very good skater and a strong person. When he comes tomorrow, he can teach you a lot of things.”

“If he’s not a loser, why isn’t he here?” Yurio challenged.

“Because of days off.” Yakov cleared his throat. “Everyone out on the ice. Mila, work with Yuri, help him get comfortable on his skates.”

 

Maybe taking the day off hadn’t been the best idea. At least if he was trying to skate, he’d be distracted. He’d also be distracted from his skating and probably hurt himself, but at least he wouldn’t be thinking about his meeting and stressing himself out about everything that could go wrong. The counselor could be a jerk, or not understand skating, or think Yuuri was weak and beyond helping. Yuuri wasn’t going to be picky – he knew how hard it was to find someone who would work for him.

What Yakov didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him, Yuuri remembered Viktor saying. Yakov didn’t need to know if Yuuri didn’t rest, but practiced his dancing instead. Minako understood him and wouldn’t say anything, and he told himself he’d take it easy and not really push himself too hard.

He hadn’t counted on Lilia, though. Lilia tutted at him in disapproval when she saw him. “If you need a distraction, I have one for you. Not a word of this to anyone else, though.”

“Yes, Lilia-sensei.” Yuuri waited while Lilia left to prepare whatever the distraction was.

When Lilia came back, she was dressed for dancing and had a laptop with her. “I understand you used to copy Vitya’s routines to practice your skating.”

“Yes…”

“We’re going to watch some dance routines and try to copy them. They will not all be ballet, nor will they be a stretch of your abilities, but hopefully, it will be fun.”

Viktor wouldn’t believe him if Yuuri told him. The first routine was a simple ballet performance, at a level that Yuuri might have been at when he was nine or ten. The second was a ballroom dance, which he and Lilia worked through together. Lilia made Yuuri lead. So far, so good… and then Lilia put on a breakdance. Yuuri gaped at her in complete disbelief. Lilia seemed amused. “It’s hardly a refined dance, but when you try it, I think you’ll understand that the skill level is more than you might think. It does have beauty as well, in its own way. I wouldn’t do this with someone looking to perform ballet professionally, but you’re a skater. For you, it may well end up being useful.”

By the time he and Lilia had learned the breakdance routine to her satisfaction, it was time for Yuuri to bow out. He had just enough time to shower and change before his appointment.

Minako went with him, in the expectation of needing a guardian to sign papers. Larissa Nevzorova was a tall, middle-aged woman who looked rather kind. She handed Yuuri a folder containing several forms, and asked Minako to come into her office.

Some of the forms were basic – name, contact information, nothing Yuuri even had to think very hard about. Others were more difficult – surveys and quizzes asking Yuuri about himself and his mental health. The forms were in English, which at least made Yuuri feel good about the language barrier.

Yuuri hadn’t quite finished when Minako came back out. Larissa invited him back so that she could start going through what he had finished while he finished up.

Once Yuuri handed her the last of the paperwork, Larissa set it aside. “All right, Yuuri. Why don’t you tell me why you’re here?”

“Don’t you know?” Surely Yakov had said something, and what had she and Minako been talking about all that time, if not Yuuri’s anxiety?

“I’ve heard from your guardian and your coach, but I want to hear from you, too. What brings you here today?”

Oh. That made sense. Yuuri tried to hide the embarrassment. “I have anxiety. I’ve dealt with it all my life, but it’s interfering with my skating. My last competition, I could have medaled if I hadn’t sabotaged myself. I need to stop doing that.”

Larissa nodded. “All right. Let me tell you a little bit about my background. I was a gymnast when I was younger – not anywhere near the level you’re at, but I went to Nationals one year. So while I’m sure it’s not exactly the same, I do know what it feels like to be in competition and to have people watching you with expectations and hopes. That’s why I chose to work with athletes, because an athlete can understand better than someone who’s never been there. Anxiety is a beast, but you’re not alone. A lot of people fight that beast.”

“That’s why I’m here. I can’t fight it on my own.”

“And that’s okay. That’s what people like me are for.”

Larissa and Yuuri spent the rest of Yuuri’s appointment talking, with Yuuri explaining his situation and his reactions to it, and Larissa listening. “Okay, Yuuri. It sounds like you’re going through a lot, and I think I can help you. Do you think you can work with me? Having a counselor who’s a good fit is just as important as having that good fit with a coach or a dance instructor.”

“I think so?”

“Okay. Let’s see if we can find a schedule that works with your training.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some things from Yuuri's counseling session are directly taken from my first session with my counselor. Others, not so much (like for instance I'm not a figure skater let alone an internationally competitive one).


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri meets Yurio. The rumor mill does what it does best.

Yuuri was nervous to get back to practice. He’d set it up so that he would be meeting with the counselor on his day off from skating, which Yakov should be okay with. After this first meeting, Yuuri was hoping he wouldn’t be as distracted. He’d also heard the stories about Yuri – Yurio – and his bad attitude from Viktor.

Mila bounced over to give Yuuri a hug. “We missed you yesterday! Come meet Yurio!”

Yuuri let Mila drag him to meet the small boy lacing up his skates. “Yurio, this is Yuuri. He had the day off yesterday.”

Yurio looked up briefly. “The loser who skips practice?”

“He’s not a loser! He’s got medals!” Mila put her hands on her hips and glared. “Be nice, or I’m not babysitting you while you learn to stay up on your own two feet without help.”

“Hello, Yuri.” Yuri looked up again at the sound of his real name, looking just a little less hostile. Yuuri smiled and did his best to use Russian for the boy. “I’m sorry I missed you yesterday. I didn’t skip practice, I took a day off so I could rest. It’s important. If you don’t give your body time to rest, it’s easier to hurt yourself.”

“Now there’s irony.” Viktor came over and ruffled Yuuri’s hair. “Who’d have thought Katsuki Yuuri would be the one teaching Yurio about resting?”

Mila giggled. Yuri glared at Viktor. “Why don’t you just call him Katsuki?”

“We told you yesterday. He was here first.” Mila grabbed Yuri’s hand. “Come on, let’s get on the ice before Yakov gets out here and starts yelling at us.”

Too late. Yakov was already there. “Yuuri, come talk to me. The rest of you, on the ice.”

Yakov just wanted to hear how things had gone with the counselor, and in training while he’d been gone. He was glad to hear that Yuuri had a regularly scheduled appointment, and approved of it being on the days off. “I’d like you to take Yurio with you when you go to ballet. Lilia knows he’s coming.”

“He dances?”

“I don’t know if he ever has before, but he’s going to.”

Yuuri looked out at the ice where Yurio was learning to skate backwards. Yuuri remembered that stage as being fun, but Yurio wasn't smiling. He looked determined. “Does he know that?”

“Yes, we talked about it last night.” Yakov sent Yuuri off to the ice to practice.

 

Everyone who went to ballet usually ate at Lilia’s on ballet days. Yuri barely touched his borscht, which Yuuri noticed. “Not hungry, Yuri?”

“No. I don’t like borscht anyway.” Yuri let his spoon drop in the bowl with a splash.

Yuuri smiled. “I don’t either. I don’t like much of anything with beets, honestly.”

Yuri snorted at that. “You’re in the wrong country, aren’t you.”

“I don’t have to like it. I just have to eat it. It’s good for me. I’d rather have katsudon, but that would make me fat!”

“Whatever. Pig.” Yuri picked up his spoon and took a sip.

Yuuri looked to Viktor, not having understood Yuri's last word. Viktor glared at Yuri. “Apologize. No need to be rude.”

“Sorry.” It was about as sincere as any forced apology from a six-year-old. 

 

After lunch, they went in to start stretching. After a few minutes, Yuri came to watch Yuuri as he did his stretches, and started mimicking him. Lilia raised an eyebrow when she saw them. “Yuuri, you were about Yurio’s age when you started ballet, weren’t you?”

“A little younger, I think. You’re six, right, Yuri?” Yuri nodded. “I wasn’t quite there yet.”

“Do you think you can teach Yuri some foundations today?”

Yuuri looked at Yuri. Mila, sure, he could have taught, but Yuri didn’t like him. “I’ll do my best. Yuri, what do you think?”

“Teach me. I’ll learn as fast as I can.”

Yuri turned out to be a quick learner, sharp and focused. Despite occasionally struggling to find a word in Russian when Yuri didn’t understand his English, Yuuri found he actually enjoyed working with the kid. It felt good to spend the time working on the basics, too. It reminded Yuuri of all the time he’d spent with Nishigori learning compulsory figures – no one ever did them in competitions anymore, but the skill he’d picked up from them made him a much better skater. It, forgive the pun, gave him an edge in competitions that he could skate with such clean edges.

 

After practice, Yuuri holed up in his room talking to Phichit over Skype. Phichit was eager to hear about the counselor and the new rinkmate. “What’s the kid like?”

“Well, he’s been skating for two days and he’s already talking about how he’s going to be the greatest skater ever. It’s hard to know whether that’s his actual personality or if he’s still acting out because of his family, but he seems to think I’m lazy because I took a day off yesterday.”

Phichit laughed at that. “If you’re lazy, what do you call a slacker like me? I only get to skate for a couple hours most days, and it’s not because I’m cross-training or anything!”

“You’re not a slacker, you’re a normal person. Do you even want to drop out of school to work on your skating all day with the same few people?”

“Nah, school’s boring but at least there are a lot of people there. Always someone new to meet!” Phichit held up a blond hamster that Yuuri didn’t recognize. “This little guy is new. I’m thinking of naming him Christophe. What do you think?”

“I think it’s going to be weird if you get a fourth one, because then it would have to be Phichit. That would be worse than having Yuuri and Yuri at the same rink!” Phichit’s giggles couldn’t quite hide the pleased look in his eyes. “Christophe is great. I’m sure Chris would appreciate that. If you wanted to stick with our rinkmates, he looks a little like Misha.”

“A lot more like Misha than Georgi anyway.” Phichit set Hamster Christophe back in his wheel. “Oh, hey, there’s a new rumor about you. Nearly forgot!”

Yuuri didn’t buy it for a moment. Phichit was somewhat careless about schoolwork, but even at eleven, the kid had the best memory Yuuri had ever seen for gossip. “What’s the rumor?”

“Rumor is that Yuri Plisetsky is Viktor’s real soulmate and he just got confused by your names. As evidence, they cite that you moved in with Yakov’s ex-wife, but Plisetsky is actually living with Viktor.”

Yuuri stared in disbelief. “Viktor’s an airhead, sure, but I can’t believe anyone would actually think Viktor wouldn’t notice that I was in a completely different country than the guy he met in his dream, not to mention eight years older!”

“Yeah, which is why this one’s so funny!”

Yuuri shook his head, but Phichit had a point. “Yeah, okay. That one is funny. Except for where people would think for a second that Viktor would do anything with a six-year-old.”

“Well, hey, it is legal if they’re soulmates.”

“It’s still gross!”

“Yeah. I hope I’m older than my soulmate. Or at least close enough that it’s no big deal if they come find me. I may want to be you on the ice, but off the ice? No thanks – no offense.” Phichit turned at the sound of a woman yelling in Thai. “And now I have to get off the computer and go to bed. Good night!”


	7. Chapter 7

For the next month or so, things were relatively calm. After a week, Yakov took Yuri to see his family, and Yuuri got to see what happened when Yakov wasn’t there to ride herd on his skaters. Ballet was just as hard as usual, but on the ice, there was a lot more goofing off than usual. Misha was an exception, Skate America was too close for him to goof off, but even Mila got in on the playtime. “Come on, Yuuri. As long as we don’t hurt ourselves or destroy the rink, Yakov won’t be mad, he knows we goof off when he’s gone. You’ve got plenty of time, come have some fun.”

Yuuri tried to resist, but Viktor was persuasive. Also, Viktor basically kidnapped him by dragging him out to skate together. Yuuri quickly took the lead with that – he’d practiced ice dancing and pair skating with Yuuko when they were kids, while Viktor had never seriously tried. Georgi whistled at them the first time Viktor lifted Yuuri, which nearly caused Viktor to drop Yuuri.

With Yakov and Misha both gone for Skate America, things got even crazier the next week. Yuuri tried to get Viktor to settle down and be serious, the Cup of China was only two weeks away, but Viktor was incorrigible. Yuuri wouldn’t join him for pair skating, choosing instead to work with Yurio, who acted as impatient with the silliness as Yuuri felt.

Mila got in Yuri’s way as he tried to practice a forward swizzle. “You know it’s okay to have fun out here, too, right?”

“Get out of my way. I need to practice real stuff.”

“But you should have fun! Otherwise you’ll start hating things! My big brother used to skate but he forgot to have fun so he quit. Now he has to go to real school and do something boring with his life like being an accountant or something.”

“If he quit then he didn’t have what it takes. Even Katsudon here didn’t quit when he was thinking about it.” Yuri turned to go the other way. Mila tried to get in his way again, but Yuuri caught her.

“It’s hard to have fun on the ice when everyone else is doing fancy tricks and all you can do is the very basic stuff,” Yuuri said in a low voice. “Keep that in mind. Go play, I’ll stay with Yurio, I don’t mind.”

“You need to loosen up and play more, too.” Mila stuck her tongue out at both Yuuri and Yurio before skating off to literally skate circles around Viktor while he did spins.

The next week was even weirder, with Yakov and Georgi at Skate Canada and Misha and Yuri gone to Moscow to see Yuri’s family. Before he left, Yakov found Yuuri. “I’m sorry, but it looks like you’re going to be the responsible adult here for the next few days. Do what you can to make Viktor prepare.” Viktor had pouted a little when Yuuri told him, but with the Cup of China only a week away, even Viktor took things seriously as he refined and polished his programs. 

 

When Yakov got back from Skate Canada, he called Yuuri over for a chat. “Do you want to go to the Cup of China?”

That was a good question. Yuuri had just assumed, with Junior Nationals coming up so soon, Yakov wouldn’t let him. “I want to, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea. Junior Nationals determines the rest of my season, so I think missing several days of practice this close would mess up my head too much.”

“That’s what I figured you’d say. If you’d like, I’ll take the blame with Viktor. But about Junior Nationals…”

Yuuri hated to ask, but felt he had to. “I know it’s the week before the NHK, but I’d really like Viktor to be there if possible.”

“Viktor’s going unless for some reason he chooses not to.” Yuuri smiled. He couldn’t imagine Viktor choosing to stay behind when Yakov said he could go and Yuuri wanted him to. “The question is if I’m going.”

Yuuri blinked. “You have to be in Moscow with Misha and Georgi. I never thought you’d come. Minako’s going to come, and between her and Viktor I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t have to be. Lilia can go with them, if I go to Japan.”

“But then who stays here with Mila?” Sure, Mila lived with an aunt and uncle, but there wouldn’t be anyone to supervise her training. “You should go to Moscow so Lilia can be here.”

“Agreed. Sending Minako with you and going to Moscow myself is the best solution, as I see it, but if you wanted me there, this is a big competition for you. I hate the idea of missing it.”

“It’s big for Misha, too, if he medals he probably goes to the Finals! You should go to Moscow.”

“All right. I’m glad you understand. Your birthday is around that time, isn’t it?”

“The 29th. First day of the NHK.”

“If you and Viktor went to Hasetsu after the NHK for a few days, do you think Nishigori would let Viktor use the Ice Castle to practice?”

“I’m sure he would, but that close to Finals?”

“The other option is to try to go between your competition and the NHK. Men don’t compete until the 1st so Viktor would have a couple days of practice.”

“Talk to Viktor, he’s the one with the competitions. If he says he’s okay, I’ll go along with whichever way he wants to do it. But Yuuko will be competing in Junior Nationals too, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Nishigoris come, and at least Mari. It's possible that Mom and Dad could get Mom's sister and her kids to come handle the inn for a couple days and come up, too, so maybe we could celebrate my birthday in Sendai?”

"Talk to your family and see if they're willing to do that. If they are, that's what I would prefer you to do, because it doesn't mess with Viktor's training."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cup of China! Viktor competes.

Viktor was disappointed but not surprised to learn that Yuuri wouldn’t be coming with him to the Cup of China. That was okay. Yuuri would be at the NHK, hopefully with a shiny new gold medal of his own. He’d have loved to have Yuuri with him, but if Yuuri needed to stay back and practice, Viktor understood.

There wasn’t much in the way of competition. The American skaters were both very good, there were two very strong Chinese skaters, although not as strong as Cao Bin. No one at this competition had ever beaten Viktor, though. Viktor had watched routines when they were available, or the previous years’ if he couldn’t find anything from this year, and there were some he liked, but none that he thought were going to be a problem for him to beat.

He’d gone with conflict as his theme. It made Yakov shake his head, but Viktor finally got to do the ninja skate he’d been wanting to do for years, so he didn’t care what Yakov thought of it. His short program was based on the Russian military, using an original song inspired by Russian military music and very precise movements and timing. Then his free skate was ninja, with very dramatic flourishes. Yuuri had gotten sick of watching ninja movies with Viktor, but it was important research!

Once they were checked in, Yakov handed Viktor his room key. “I suppose it’s pointless to tell you to behave yourself?”

“I always behave myself!” Viktor took the key with a smile. “It’s five hours time difference, right?”

Yakov looked at his watch. “Yes. Don’t stay up too late.”

Viktor went up to his room, got out his laptop, and called Yuuri on Skype. No answer. He tried Yuuri’s cell phone. “Yuuri! We’re here!”

“Good to hear. I’m still at the rink, Yuri doesn’t want to leave until he gets this wiggle down because Georgi’s taking him to Moscow tomorrow morning.”

“Am I interrupting your practice?”

“No, I’m done for the day, but Yuri’s spending the night at Lilia’s since you and Yakov are both gone so I’m staying to walk with him. Georgi’s still here too, don’t worry.”

 

He didn’t compete the next day, so while Yuuri would be busy with practice, Viktor went out and explored the city. It wasn’t nearly as much fun as it had been with Yuuri and Chris, but Viktor was used to the loneliness. He was spotted by several fans, and signed autographs, before getting dinner and going back to the hotel to wait for Yuuri’s call.

“Hi, Viktor! You forgot to tell me we broke up!”

“We did? Huh?” Sure, Yuuri sounded too happy to actually believe Viktor was leaving him, but where had he gotten that idea?

“Well, you’re out exploring Harbin and there’s no sign that I’m in China…”

Viktor laughed, relaxing. “Oh, of course. What’s Phichit saying in our defense?”

“The truth – you have a competition to be at and I have one to train for so we’re separated for a few days. Just because we’re soulmates doesn’t mean we’re literally bound together and would die if we’re apart too long.”

“It sure felt that way sometimes, back before you came to Russia.” Viktor knew he was an overdramatic idiot for missing Yuuri so much. Yakov and the others had been sure to make sure he was well aware. That didn't mean he ever wanted to do that again.

“I’d call you an overdramatic idiot, but you’re not wrong. I felt so ridiculous for missing you so much. We barely knew each other!” Now Viktor felt better, knowing that Yuuri had been affected too. And worse, because if he'd known, he could have gone out there for a little while after Europeans. He'd thought about it anyway, but talked himself out of it because overdramatic idiot or not, he did have some common sense, even if he chose to ignore it for the most part.

“I still miss you a lot, even though it’s only a few days. I know I’m going to skate better at the NHK.”

“I’ll be watching you, Viktor. I just won’t be there to give you a hug afterwards.” There were a couple barks, and Yuuri laughed. “Makkachin and Vicchan say hello and they want you to bring home a gold medal.”

 

Viktor was the last skater for the short program, something he wasn’t as happy about as he might have been. The later he skated, the later it would be before he could call Yuuri. At least it meant he knew what he needed to skate last again the next day. When he took the ice, he could hear the crowd’s cheers, and the surprise as his music started and he started his program. First up, step sequence. He was very proud to admit that Yuuri could do it better. Then his first jump, a quad salchow that went beautifully. His triple axel also went well, and he navigated spins and his second step sequence to finish on his combo, a triple flip-double toe loop. His final pose had him facing the judges and saluting, army-style.

The crowd went nuts. Viktor had definitely surprised them. His score was amazing, approaching 85 points, putting him very comfortably in first place going into the free skate. Yakov had a lecture for him full of criticism, which Viktor only half listened to. Yakov would tell him everything again in practice. Instead, he tried to mentally prepare for the questions.

The first question was about the militaristic theme of his program, and Viktor gave a half-true answer about respecting the soldiers’ discipline and training, if not the current uniforms – his costume was based on much older Russian military, because the current uniforms were boring.

It was several questions later that they finally got around to asking something about Yuuri, and even then, it was a simple “Is there a reason your soulmate didn’t come with you to Hardin?”

“Yuuri has his next competition in two weeks, and he felt that he couldn’t take the time out of preparation to come. I wish he were here, but I certainly understand that his training is more important than coming to watch me.”

“Do you have any comment about the rumors about Yuri Plisetsky?”

“Yes, I do, and I’m glad you asked. It’s bad enough that Katsuki Yuuri is having to deal with overzealous writers eager to sell their work. Yuri Plisetsky is six years old. Anyone who thinks it’s acceptable to drag a child into things for the sensation or the ratings is scum and does not deserve the platform.”

“So you don’t see Katsuki as a child?”

“He’s fourteen, not six, he’s a rising star and earning media attention in his own right, and he is my soulmate. It’s a very different situation.”

Viktor didn’t stay long after that, heading up to his room to call Yuuri. “I may have called some reporters scum.”

“I was watching. Misha’s still laughing at it. Those reporters hate us anyway, so no harm done. Your program was great!”

 

The next day, Viktor slept as long as Yakov would let him. Yakov got a little less snarly when he saw that Viktor already had his hair braided and pulled up. The shimmering black costume was much less flashy than most, just a simple bodysuit with very little decoration. It had caught Yakov by surprise, which Viktor was very proud of.

He was once again skating last. He didn’t pay much attention during the first group – it was extremely unlikely that any of them would come up to challenge for a medal, let alone gold. The second group he tuned into – the Americans’ programs were usually worth watching, and it was always interesting to see what happened with the medals.

The cheers from the short program were replaced by a bit of confusion when Viktor took the ice, thanks to his minimalist look. He had three jumps at the start of the program, two of which were combos including his quad toe loop-double toe loop combination that drew applause. He did his final combination after one of the step sequences Yuuri had put together for him, which was quite possibly the best he’d ever done. He started the second half of his program with a triple axel, followed by a spin and then the second step sequence. This one didn’t go as well as the first one, but still fine. Last jump, triple flip, and then skating to his ending ninja pose.

Viktor’s score wasn’t a surprise, although everyone went wild. Over 150 was still quite the achievement, and his total score was above 235. Gold at the Cup of China.

Yuuri came up in the first question this time. “Is your free skate Japanese-themed because of Yuuri?”

“No! Well, sort of. I’ve been wanting to do this for years. Yuuri helped me figure out how to convince Yakov to let me! And then he helped me research and put it together. The step sequences, those are Yuuri’s doing. You might have noticed those were better than usual!”

The rest of the interview was normal – no juicy new rumors, Viktor had made it clear he wasn’t talking about the old ones, so it was all about skating and plans. “Do you have any special plans for your trip to Japan? Will Yuuri be with you there?”

“Yuuri will be with me. He’ll be competing in Junior Nationals the week before, in the same city, and won’t compete again until late December. His family will be coming up to watch him compete, and will stay in Sendai for the time between his competition and mine to celebrate his birthday.”

“Does Yuuri’s birthday have any special significance for you?”

Viktor looked at the reporter blankly. “It’s the first one we’ll be celebrating together, but if you mean something else, I’m not understanding the question.” The reporter didn't clarify, so Viktor just assumed it wasn't an actual question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one was a bit late - not sure what happened to me this weekend but I kind of crashed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Viktor get to Sendai. Yuuri gets to see friends and Mari.

Landing in Sendai was quite the adventure. There was some bad weather, and then because they were late they had to circle a couple times waiting to be put in the landing schedule. So Yuuri and Viktor were both a little cranky when they got out of security and customs – and straight into the arms of the waiting press.

“Yuuri! Welcome back to Japan! Are you happy to be here?”

Yuuri’s eyes went huge and he took a step closer to Viktor. “Hi? Um, yes, it’s good to be here? I’m looking forward to seeing my friends and family.”

“Where’s your coach? Is he coming later?”

“Coach Yakov is at the Rostelecom Cup with two of his other skaters. Okukawa Minako will be standing in for him, since she’s gone to competitions with me before.”

“Is there anything you’d like to say to the people of Japan?”

“Thank you for your continued support over the past year and I hope you’ll continue to support me as I take the next steps in my career.”

The press left them alone after that, much to Yuuri and Viktor’s relief. Minako was a little surprised, but quickly led the boys away before they could change their mind.

 

Yuuko had texted Yuuri a room number, and he and Viktor went over after they got settled. Yuuko hugged them both. “It’s so good to see you, Yuuri! Hasetsu’s not the same without you.”

“I’m sorry, Yuuko. I had to go, though.”

Yuuko smiled and flopped on the bed. Yuuri sat on the bed with her, with Viktor on the floor beside him. “Oh, I know. I’ve seen your skates, you’re amazing! I can’t wait to see you live. You’re going to do so well here, I know it! My family and Takeshi and his parents and Mari are here already, and your parents are coming for the free skate and the day after but couldn’t be away from the onsen any longer.”

“I’m glad they’re coming. I know it’s hard to get away." Two days was more than Yuuri had expected. They would be able to watch his free skate - and hopefully, see him receive his medal. That way lay pressure and anxiety, so Yuuri changed the subject. "You should call Takeshi over! I miss him, too.”

Yuuko giggled as she started typing on her phone. “If someone had told you five years ago that you’d move to Russia and Takeshi would have been one of the people you missed, your reaction would have been so funny. You’d never believe it.”

Viktor's brow furrowed as he looked up to Yuuri. “Why not? I thought Takeshi was one of your closest friends.”

“He is now, but when I first started skating, he bullied me a lot." Yuuri reached down and put a hand on Viktor's shoulder. "He was never really cruel, just a boy being a boy, and he grew out of it as we got to know each other, unlike all the other people back home.”

Yuuko set her phone aside after the text. “Takeshi was threatened by Yuuri’s obvious talent. I was different, I’m a girl, but Yuuri was younger and got better than him quickly. He got over it when he decided he didn’t like skating enough to keep up competitively.”

“Are you going to seniors next season, Yuuko?”

Yuuko sighed and stared at her fingernails, picking at the polish on them. “I don’t know. Mom wants me to quit after this competition… she wants me to marry my soulmate right away and who knows if my husband will let me keep skating.”

“Why would he get to decide that?” Viktor asked.

“Well, for one thing, if he wants kids right away, it’s hard to skate around pregnancies. Lots of men expect their wives to give up their careers to manage the house and raise the children, you know.”

Yuuri made a face. “What if you’re soulmate’s younger than you? Like me with Viktor, or worse?”

Yuuko giggled. “I asked Mom that and she said that it would never happen, so I didn’t have to worry about that. At least I have Dad's support. He wants me to skate if I want to skate, and he thinks it’s silly for me to feel like I have to marry my soulmate right away. Who even says he would want to?”

“For that matter, who says your soulmate is male? Mine isn’t female,” Yuuri said.

“Mom thinks she knows exactly what my soulmate is like. He sounds boring, though.”

There was a knock at the door. Takeshi and Mari were both there. Mari came over and ruffled Yuuri's hair. “Hi, Yuuri. I need to beat up Viktor yet?” She grabbed the chair from the desk, while Takeshi joined Yuuri and Yuuko on the bed.

Yuuri swatted at Mari's hand, but too late. “No. I may need you to go beat up Yuuko’s mom though.”

“Yeah, she’s said some mean things about you," Mari said with a frown. "We pretty much ignore her, but if she’s bothering you…”

“What’s she saying about me?”

“Oh, nothing you haven’t heard in the press. You’re a bad soulmate because you haven’t married Viktor yet.” Mari turned a glare on Viktor. “Don’t even think about it.”

“If Yuuri wanted to be married he’d have said something. I don’t want to be married yet. There’s no hurry." Viktor screwed up his face. "I can’t imagine either of us giving up skating to get married, either. That’s just weird.”

“So if it’s not because of what she’s saying, why do you want Mari to beat up Yuuko’s mom?” Takeshi asked.

“I told him that Mom wants me to quit skating after this.”

Takeshi patted Yuuko’s shoulder. “Your mom’s wrong. Hey, maybe you’ll get lucky and some handsome foreign skater will come whisk you away, too, and you just asked him not to come until you were eighteen to avoid your mother’s wrath!”

“That wouldn’t be lucky. I don’t want to leave Hasetsu. I know, it’s worked out well for Yuuri, but I at least want to stay close. And I want to keep skating, so I’m going to have to compromise, I know, but… this whole business sucks.”

Mari rolled her eyes and exchanged a glance with Yuuri. “Maybe your soulmate will be an idiot like mine and you’ll be free of the whole deal. I know your mom thinks I'm a bad soulmate for ditching Kokei, but last I heard he was in jail. Is that really what she wants for you?”

“Maybe.” Yuuko didn't look convinced. "Mom's... intense."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hasetsu gang wanders around Sendai and has adventures, after which Yuuri has to go skate his short program.

Viktor had to roll his eyes at the press. Of course, Yakov choosing go to Moscow with Georgi and Misha meant that he was cutting Yuuri free, that was the only plausible explanation! Yuuri just laughed and pointed out the obvious flaw – if Yakov was cutting Yuuri free, Viktor wouldn’t be here with him.

When Viktor went out exploring Sendai, he didn’t just take Yuuri with him. Yuuko, Takeshi, and Mari came, too. Viktor got ridiculously excited by the waterfalls, to Yuuri’s entertainment. Yuuko couldn’t help giggling. “Somehow, I never imagined Viktor Nikiforov as a giddy tourist.”

Yuuri shook his head with a smile. “Know of anything ninja-related around here? You’d get to see Vitya out of his mind.”

They split up when they got to a market. Viktor took off by himself, Yuuri with Yuuko, and Takeshi and Mari. When they met up later, Viktor had presents for everyone. At dinner, things got a little weird when the waiter recognized some of them.

“Mari?”

Mari looked up from her menu and gasped in shock. “You have got to be fucking kidding me. What are you doing here?”

Everyone but Viktor seemed to know the guy, and everyone seemed hostile. Viktor didn't understand. The waiter didn't seem to be surprised. “I work here. What are you doing here? We’re a long way from Hasetsu.”

“Not that you ever gave a shit about him, but Yuuri’s competing here and I’m here to cheer him on. Might not have come if I knew you were here.”

If the waiter was bothered by Mari's rudeness, he didn't show it. “Wow. Good luck, Yuuri. Can I take your orders?”

Once the waiter was gone, Viktor looked to Mari. “Who’s that?”

“My soulmate. Apparently he’s out of jail.”

That made dinner rather awkward. Kokei behaved himself, so Mari did too. Once the bill was paid, Kokei asked Mari to stay and talk for a bit. “I’m sorry. You deserved much better than how I treated you, and I hope that whatever you’re doing now, you’re happy with it.”

Mari folded her arms across her chest. “And now I’m supposed to fall into your arms and give you another chance?”

“No. Now you’re supposed to go watch your brother’s competition and get on with your life. If you ever do want to try again, I’ll probably be around here somewhere, my uncle owns the restaurant, but that’s not why I’m apologizing.”

“Why are you?”

Kokei shrugged. “Because I treated you badly, and I can’t undo it and the best thing I can do to make amends for it is to stay away, but since you’re here… I just wanted to tell you that I know I was wrong. You don’t have to worry about me showing up in Hasetsu trying to barge back into your life.”

“Good.” Mari walked off, and the others followed her.

 

Viktor and Yuuri woke up to the sound of a phone ringing. It was Yuuri's cell phone, so he answered it while Viktor went to the computer. The only reason he could think of for someone to be calling them this early is some new media scandal. It didn’t take long. “Katsuki Yuuri Ditches Alleged Soulmate For True One?”

“It’s Yuuko. Her mom called demanding to know how she and I know we’re soulmates already and why I've been messing around with you if I'm hers.” Yuuri looked over Viktor’s shoulder to see pictures of him and Yuuko walking around the market together. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“No." Viktor skimmed the article. "Somehow they did enough research to know that you and Yuuko used to be rinkmates, but not enough to know that you kept up your friendship, or that she’s sixteen.”

“Seventeen. As of the 19th.”

“Seventeen. Still not old enough to have her dream.” Viktor picked up his phone. “Tell Yuuko I’m very sorry she got dragged into our crap. I’ll call Yakov.”

Yakov was not happy about being woken up to hear the new rumor. That was fair. Viktor wasn’t happy about having to wake him up to report it. Once Yuuri was off the phone with Yuuko, he started firing text messages to Phichit. “Is this going to happen any time we make a friend?”

“Well, I haven’t heard anything about Phichit being your real soulmate yet. Of course, he’s far too young, and you two haven’t actually met in person yet." Viktor closed the laptop and smiled. "We should do that next summer. I've always wanted to see Thailand.”

Yuuri laughed, but there was a note of hysteria in it. “Phichit’s trying to get his parents or his coach to bring him to Senior Nationals if I make it. I hope it works out.”

“Me too." Viktor glanced at the clock. They still had hours before they had to be at the rink. "Now, back to bed with you, you have a program to skate today and need your sleep!”

 

Yuuri didn’t get much extra sleep, but he got enough to where he wasn’t quite praying for death as they went to watch the girls’ free skate. Yuuko did quite well, placing third after the short program and breaking 50 with her score for a new personal best.

Yuuri ended up in the last group to skate, with only three skaters after him. Yuuri spent the waiting time getting damage control reports from Phichit and Viktor. When the next-to-last group took the ice, Yuuri’s phone rang. It was Yakov. “I’m following as best I can. Did you get back to sleep this morning?”

“Yes, Coach. I feel mostly fine. Scores here haven’t been great, but there have been a couple high ones. If I can just keep my head clear, I shouldn’t have a problem being top three.”

“Good. Keep that confidence, don’t be afraid to take a risk if you think you can, and you’ll do fine.”

When Yuuri took the ice, he looked for his friends. They were all sitting close, and all of them were cheering loudly, especially Viktor. As always, Yuuri’s double axel started him off on a high note. His triple loop was unexpectedly good, getting beautiful height from the ice. When he got to the combo, he remembered Yakov’s words about taking the risk – and then he landed shakily from the first jump. He wasn’t happy about it, but his double toe loop was fine.

It was almost weird, Minako greeting him with a hug and words of praise instead of Yakov’s critique. Yakov would probably call again soon to give him the lecture. Yuuri’s score was only a couple points higher than it had been in Germany, but it put him in first place. By the time it was over, only one other skater was within five points of him. 

Yakov called as soon as the last skater finished. “Nicely done.”

“I know what you said about taking risks, but…”

“I think in this case the double was the right call. You were shaky on the landing from the flip.”

Relief swept through Yuuri. Yakov wasn't mad. “Exactly.”

Yakov proceeded to tell him the rest of his critique. “Now go do whatever you need to do to be ready for tomorrow. I don’t want to see you blow this lead.”

“I think we’re all getting together to watch yesterday’s short program from the Cup of Russia. I’ll do my best to sleep well tonight.”

Yakov snorted. “Hope there’s no more media foolishness to mess that up.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Free skates.

Minako joined the group to watch Misha and Georgi. The free skate would be starting far too late to stay up and watch, but they could watch between Yuuko and Yuuri’s free skates. Yuuko’s free program was beautiful. Playing on the Ice Castle Madonna nickname, she skated to Ave Maria, and her soft blue costume suited her perfectly. Her score of 87 gave her an overall 137 – good enough to earn her the bronze medal, and a spot in Senior Nationals.

Yuuri gave her a big hug when she came out with her medal. “Two more points, and you’d have gone to Junior Worlds! You can’t quit now!”

“Well, I definitely can’t quit until I’ve skated Senior Nationals, at the least! Even Mom can’t object to that. And I’ll need to stay in training, I’m the alternate…” Takeshi claimed Yuuko for a hug, then Mari took over, and Yuuko was not quite literally passed around between the group of Hasetsu supporters. Once everyone had their chance, Minako claimed Viktor and Yuuri. “Anyone who wants to come can, but these two need to watch their rinkmates’ performances.” Misha took gold, and Georgi did well, finishing in the top six. Misha was going to the Grand Prix Finals.

“No slacking off now, Vitya, you can't let Misha go without you,” Yuuri teased.

“Yo. Yuuri.” Mari stuck her head in. “Need you and Viktor out here.”

Yuuri went outside to find his parents waiting with hugs. “I’m so glad you came!”

Toshiya patted Yuuri's shoulder. “We’re sorry to have missed Yuuko’s skate, but we couldn’t leave until this morning. We haven’t missed yours, have we?”

“No, no, although I do need to go start getting ready soon. The boys’ skate is the last one, and I go last, so it’ll be pretty late. There's plenty of time.”

“Oh, good. We can’t wait to see it, Yuuri,” Hiroko said.

 

Minako took Yuuri off to prepare for his competition when the time came. Makeup, hair, zippers, pep talks… very different from working with Yakov. When Yakov called, Yuuri was starting to work himself up. “Viktor’s sticking with 115.”

“That sounds a little low to me, considering the work you’ve put in since Germany, but it should be enough. Did you sleep?”

“Yes. No media freakouts to deal with, and I’ve been learning to stop bad trains of thought, which helps.”

“Good. You’ll do good, Yuuri.”

Yuuri’s nerves flared as he took the ice, but after the triple flip he’d messed up in Germany went well, he settled down. The combo he fell on in Romania also went well – maybe a little shaky on the final landing, but he didn’t touch the ice. His spins were easy, and he could hear the crowd’s appreciation for his second step sequence. With every element, his confidence grew, and it showed in his performance. As he came to a stop after the triple axel, Yuuri realized he’d landed all his jumps. This was quite possibly the best he’d ever skated his program, even in practice.

When Yuuri’s score was announced, he immediately turned to the stands to look for Viktor. 117, for a total of almost 181. He’d just won gold, a trip to Senior Nationals, and a trip to Junior Worlds. Viktor was going absolutely bonkers, hugging everyone he could reach. When he got his medal, he stared at it for a moment, not quite believing it was real.

In the locker room, he picked up his phone. There were several texts and voicemails. Phichit was easily responsible for half of them and he texted back in the hopes that Phichit’s head wouldn’t explode from waiting. He listened to Yakov’s voicemail before calling his coach back. He tried not to laugh as Yakov ran down the list of criticisms – it was exactly what he needed to bring him back to Earth. “Good job, Yuuri. I’ll be out on the 28th. Try to keep Vitya from exploding with pride, he still has to skate.”

When Yuuri got out of the locker room, he ran straight to Viktor’s waiting arms for a hug. Viktor was happy to comply. When Viktor pulled back, he lifted Yuuri’s gold medal and kissed it with an enthusiastic smack. Like Yuuko that morning, Yuuri was passed around for hugs from everyone else present. Then it was off to face the media.

At first, things went well. The reporters were very happy to talk about the gold medal, Yuuri’s thoughts on his chances in Worlds or Senior Nationals, and his general support from the people of Japan and his coaches and rinkmates in St. Petersburg. Then someone brought up Yuuko. “Earlier today, she won bronze, and will be invited to Senior Nationals with you. Are you excited to have another competition with her?”

“Yuuko and I have been friends since we were both very young. Leaving her behind when I moved to St. Petersburg was almost as hard as leaving my parents and sister. I’m thrilled to have the chance to see her again so soon.”

“Is there any truth to the rumor that she’s your real soulmate?”

Yuuri sighed. Several of the other reporters rolled their eyes at the question. “Viktor is my real soulmate. While I suppose that, theoretically, it’s possible that we’re in the rare situation where I have two soulmates but she’s not connected to Viktor in the same way, Yuuko is seventeen. Neither of us are old enough to know if we are. I think it’s very unlikely – while I care a great deal about Yuuko, my friendship with her is very different from my friendship with Viktor, and I think that’s because of the soulmate bond.”

“You’re too young to have had your dream, so how can you be sure that Viktor isn’t just playing with you?”

“Why would he?” Yuuri saw Viktor’s frown and chuckled softly. “I was his fan long before I knew I was his soulmate, and one thing I learned about him from that time is that he’s a true believer. Anyone can see that, just pick pretty much any interview he ever did in the two years before his eighteenth birthday and you can see how much his soulmate meant to him, even when his soulmate was just a vague person he knew he’d find someday.” As expected, Viktor’s frown cleared up at that. The interview ended not long after.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birthday! <3

The next day, Yuuri’s family took him out for his birthday. Nishigori agreed to stay with Viktor to train that morning, but everyone else went. Yuuri insisted that they celebrate Yuuko’s birthday, too, which everyone but Yuuko went along with easily enough. Viktor and Nishigori joined the party at lunchtime. 

At lunch, there was cake, and Hiroko and Toshiya had brought presents for Yuuri. Nothing too fancy, mostly practical, but there was one that was just for fun and had Yuuri laughing. He handed it to Viktor. “This is actually for you. I thought you’d enjoy it.” Viktor took it and held it up – a new video game called Assassin’s Creed. “It’s not exactly ninjas, but it’s pretty close.”

“I can’t wait to play it. Or watch you play it. Amazing!” Viktor pouted. “You didn’t bring your Xbox. We don’t get to play for nearly a week!”

“Oh my god, he’s like a little kid.” Mari reached out and pulled Viktor’s hair. “You have a competition to be preparing for. Are you gonna let Yuuri be the only one leaving Japan with a gold medal?”

Viktor beamed. “It’s going to be fun when we’re competing against each other and only one of us can!”

“That’s going to be fun?” Yuuko looked horrified by the idea. “What happens when one of you beats the other?”

“Winner gets first choice of video game,” Viktor said. “Also the pride of having beaten a worthy competitor.”

“So we’ll be playing a lot of Assassin’s Creed, because Viktor’s going to be winning for a while.”

Viktor swatted at Yuuri. “Don’t say that.”

“This isn’t my lack of confidence, this is you have quads and it’ll take me a couple years to catch up there, and I’ll be going through puberty and having to relearn my jumps every few months anyway. You know a lot of teenage skaters are wildly inconsistent. Even you, although on you it just meant sometimes you got bronze.”

“Your jumps will suffer, but your step sequences and presentation score has always been your strength, and you should be able to keep those up.”

Hiroko and Toshiya had to leave after dinner, and Yuuko, Takeshi, and their families went with them. Mari stayed, as did Minako – someone had to look after the boys. Back at the hotel, Yuuri pulled out his phone. “Holy crap.” He checked the time. Should be okay to call. “Phichit?”

“Yuuri! Oh, thank God, I was starting to think something had happened to you.”

“Sorry, my family came to Sendai to celebrate my birthday, that’s all. What’s happened?” Viktor looked up from his own phone to pay attention.

“Oh, happy birthday! I sent a present to St Petersburg. It should be there when you get back. No, it is not a hamster.” Yuuri giggled. “Anyway, there’s a picture of Viktor kissing your gold medal making the rounds on the Internet, and a lot of speculation about why he kissed the medal and not the medal winner.”

Yuuri’s giggles became full laughter. “Hamster Brigade’s on it, right?”

“Well…” Phichit sounded a bit nervous. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want us to say. I mean we’re out there! And so far it’s mostly been ‘because he’s fourteen you idiots!’ I just didn’t want to start a full counter before checking with you and Viktor.”

“Much appreciated.” Yuuri got the laughter under control enough to explain to Viktor. “What’s the Hamster Brigade Official Line on why you kissed my medal and not me?”

“Because we’re not kissing each other yet? Sorry about the medal, I wasn’t thinking.”

“Okay, so just keep going with the innocence of youth and Viktor's exuberance. Got it. I’ll get the Hamsters out.” Phichit hung up.

Yuuri scrolled through the other texts and missed calls. Nothing that looked like it needed to be dealt with. "I thought it was cute. Don't worry about it. Worst case I'll just start telling people you're part dragon. European dragons like shiny gold things, right?"

 

Viktor spent most of the next day practicing or training under Minako’s watch, while Mari and Yuuri enjoyed a day off. At first, Yuuri was nervous about taking two days off in a row, especially after having eaten so much the day before celebrating his birthday, but when Yakov called to check in, he approved of it. “Your next competition isn’t until the end of December, and you have nothing at all to prove there. It’s just about seeing where you are in comparison to the seniors.”

Yuuri went to practice with Viktor the next day. When Yakov got there, he made Viktor go through his routines and let him know how he was screwing it up so badly he’d be lucky not to be last in the competition. Viktor just grinned and launched into a quad Salchow.

Since he wouldn’t be competing until December 1st, Viktor had the afternoon and evening of Yuuri’s birthday free. “You’re fifteen. Excited?”

“I’m still riding the excitement from the gold medal, honestly. I don’t care about my age other than next year I’ll be allowed to move up to Seniors if Yakov thinks I’m ready.”

“Yakov will let you if that’s what you want and you do well at Senior Nationals and Junior Worlds, but he won’t force you yet. I didn’t move up the first year I was eligible.”

“I don’t want to. Not yet. I’d like another shot at the Junior Grand Prix before I start trying for the senior one. Not to mention, the press is going to go nuts the first time we compete against each other, no matter who wins.”

Viktor grinned and shook his head. “And then the first time the other one wins they’ll go nuts again. Such silliness. When you beat me, I’ll be the first one there to congratulate you.”

“Same.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NHK.

Viktor was having a great time in Japan. It had been great to see Yuuri’s friends and family, and Sendai was an interesting city. Yakov gave him a lot of criticism, but most of it was picky enough that Viktor could tell he was in good shape going into the competition. Aside from Cao Bin, there was only one other person in contention for the Finals, a Czech skater named Kamil Macek who had taken bronze at Skate Canada. Cao Bin had taken gold in Skate America over Misha’s silver, and Yakov was out for revenge with Viktor.

With Yuuko gone, the media settled down, letting Viktor focus a bit better. He didn't plan to change anything in his program, preferring to focus on cleaning up what he was already doing. From his research, his base value was already well above everyone but Bin and Kamil, so as long as he skated well, he ought to medal.

This time, Viktor was skating close to the beginning. He was in the first group. His first step sequence was clean if not flashy, and he hit both his quad Salchow and his triple Axel very well. His spins were good, and the final combination jump spectacular. It was a good program, a clean skate, and Viktor was proud of it. The judges agreed, and Viktor’s score broke 85.

The press behaved themselves in the interview, sticking to skating questions – congratulations on being in first, plans for the Finals, looking ahead to Nationals and Europeans. They did ask about Yuuri, but in the context of his skating as well. “Do you know if he’s planning to join you in seniors next year?”

“I don’t think he is. Of course, when he does well in the Senior Nationals at the end of the month, he might change his mind! Whatever decision he makes, I will support.”

“You’re not worried that competing against him might change your relationship?”

“Not at all. We’re both competitors and love to win, but losing to a good opponent is no shame, and it gives us both two chances to celebrate a gold medal!”

 

Viktor wasn’t usually the type to get nervous. He had a good program, confidence in his skills and his performance ability, and the kind of unflinching optimism that gets someone on a plane to go to a foreign country looking for a soulmate with little to no advance planning. Even so, it was hard not to be nervous after watching two skaters, including Kamil, injure themselves on the ice. Kamil’s ended his program early, and just from watching him get carried off, Viktor was afraid it might be season or even career ending.

And then he had to go out and skate. His first jumps were clean, but his quad toe loop-double toe loop combo wasn’t as good as it had been in China. He settled himself down with his first step sequence, and pulled his head back onto the ice in time for his last combo, which he did with one arm raised, and he changed the second jump from a double toe loop to a triple. Yakov could yell at him later for raising the arm, but it had worked. It was definitely a surprise for the audience, and hopefully might at least partly replace everyone's memory of the injuries. All downhill from there, and he finished beautifully on a perfect triple flip.

As expected, Yakov told him off for raising his arm – he hadn’t practiced that since before coming to Japan, why was he doing it in competition? There was quite a bit else that Yakov had to say, but Viktor had already tuned out to look for Yuuri. His score of 156 was a couple tenths less than Cao Bin’s, but his combined score was better. A second gold secured his place in the Finals. Cao Bin’s silver meant he was coming as well.

When he left the changing room after the medal ceremony, Yuuri was waiting for him. There were a lot of flashes as they hugged. “How’s Kamil? Have you heard anything?” Viktor asked when Yuuri pulled away.

“Nothing yet. I hope he’s okay, but it looked bad from where I was. It was probably worse for you, being right there. Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Viktor was very glad it had been him skating instead of Yuuri. Having to skate after that kind of injury would probably mess Yuuri's head up badly.

“Anyway, congratulations on your gold medal.” Yuuri lifted it off Viktor’s chest to kiss. “Your skate was beautiful.”

“Are you part dragon too, then?” Viktor teased as Yuuri let the medal fall back against his chest.

“Nah. Just spend enough time with one to pick up habits.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we meet the most important new character ever.

The media was distracted enough by Kamil’s season-ending injury that, aside from Viktor having won gold again and made Finals, he and Yuuri weren’t talked about. Much.

Returning to Russia was surprisingly quiet, as far as the press was concerned. It was only two weeks until the Finals, so there wasn’t time to go out and make mischief. Yakov worked Viktor and Misha hard in practice, although he found the time to sit down with Yuuri and check his program against the Senior requirements. He was fine – but there was one change he really wanted to make. "The only reason I'm starting with a double axel instead of a triple is because the requirements specifically say double. Seniors, you can do a triple, and you know I hit that jump more than any other triple."

"True. Do you think you can do it without downgrading one of your other jumps?"

"Yes. I'm not sure about going up to the triple toe loop on the end of the combo, but you know I've never done that in competition with the double axel either, and the triple axel's more points than the triple toe loop anyway."

"All right. Fair enough. Practice it with the triple axel and we'll see how it goes."

Georgi spent most of his time working with Mila and Yuri. Yuri had learned impressively fast. As his mother’s condition improved and his skating skills developed, Yuri became less prickly, almost friendly sometimes. And then… Yuri had made a friend in St. Petersburg.

Viktor first met Yuri’s new friend when he brought Makkachin home from Lilia’s. Yuri met Viktor and Makkachin at the door with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “Your stupid dog better not mess with Potya. I will mess her up.”

“Who’s Potya?”

Yuri disappeared, and Viktor took the opportunity to get Makkachin inside. The poodle barked as Yuri came back, causing Yuri to scowl. Viktor reached out to ruffle his hair. “That’s her happy bark, Yuri.”

Yuri ducked away. “Whatever. It’s still loud and dumb and I’m not sure Potya knows the difference.” Yuri’s arms were wrapped around a somewhat scrawny Siamese kitten. “Your monster better not hurt my cat.”

“You have a cat now?” What did Yakov have to say about it? Although from the looks of the kitten, while it may not have been taken care of for long, that was changing. He was scrawny, but his fur was clean and he seemed comfortable in Yuri's arms.

“Yeah. Yakov said I could keep him as long as I take care of him, and Grandpa and Mama say that when I go home he can come too.” Yuri cuddled the cat a little closer as Makkachin started sniffing. Potya wasn’t too bothered, sniffing back at Makkachin curiously.

“Well, we’ll keep an eye on them, but it looks like they don’t mind each other too much.” Viktor patted Makkachin’s head. “Come on. Food time for doggies!”

 

Yakov gave Yuuri the choice about coming to Turin for the Finals. Yuuri didn’t even think about it before saying he was going. “Why couldn’t you have been two years older, Viktor? Then I could have gone to the Olympics with you.”

“You’ll get your chance in 2010! The Olympics are fun.”

Yuuri's eyes turned dreamy. “I may well be skating there, unless puberty messes me up too much.”

“You should be! Even if you haven’t moved up to Seniors yet, they’d send you if you were their best, wouldn’t they? And Chris, too!”

“Japan’s not going to send Chris.”

“No, Switzer…” Viktor burst into laughter at Yuuri’s mischievous smirk. “You know what I meant.”

“Yeah. Phichit will still be too young, though.”

“Sadly." Viktor was very much looking forward to being able to hang out with Phichit. Phichit never failed to make Yuuri laugh. "How’s the plot to get him out to Senior Nationals going?”

“He has to bring home a note from school saying his marks have been acceptable and he's passing everything. If he can do that, his dad will bring him to Japan.”

“Uhoh." Viktor thought back to what he'd heard about Phichit's grades. "How’s his math going?”

Yuuri couldn't hold back the laughter anymore. “You wouldn’t believe how smart that kid is when he puts his mind to it! Phichit told me yesterday that his teacher actually called his parents to find out what had gotten into him because he was doing his work and doing very well.”

“Ha! Good. Maybe they’ll bring him to more of your competitions!”

 

Mila pouted about being left behind. Misha and Viktor were competing, Yuuri was going to support Viktor, Yakov and Lilia were going as coach and choreographer, and Georgi was taking Yuri to Moscow. Minako was staying, so Mila wouldn’t be missing out on training, but she was sick of always being left behind.

Yuuri ruffled her hair. “You’ll be competing next year, Mila. Trust me, enjoy the quiet while you can. In three years, you’ll be grateful for the quiet weekends.”

Mila stuck her tongue out at Yuuri. “If you like the quiet weekends so much why are you going with Viktor?”

“That’s different. Viktor and I aren’t good at separation. It’s worth the annoying travel just to stay close to him.”

Mila rolled her eyes. “And let me guess, I’ll understand that when I’m older, too.”

“I hope so. Whoever your soulmate is, I hope they’re amazing and you’re happy.”

“Do I have to have a soulmate? I don’t want one. Neither does Yurio. Skating’s more fun than soulmates.”

Yuuri did his best to hide the amused smile. “That’s another one. Wait a few years and soulmates will be much more interesting. But no, you don’t have to have one. Minako doesn’t. Even if you do have one, you don’t have to actually do anything with them if you don’t want to.”

“What if my soulmate’s awful?”

“Then I’ll give you my sister’s phone number and you two can form a club. She’ll come beat them up for you if you ask nicely.”

“What if I want to beat him up myself?”

“Work hard in training. By the time you’re old enough to start seriously thinking a soulmate might show up, you’ll be able to crush them with your legs.”

Mila giggled. “Fiiiiiiiiiiine. I guess. Have fun! Don’t let Yakov keep Viktor from having fun!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Injury updates: Kamil has torn knee ligaments and is out for the season, but if rehab goes well he should be able to skate in next year's Grand Prix. Anatol Nedza bruised his butt on a fall and will be skating in Poland's Nationals. I know people were worried. :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turin Part 1: Chris's Skates and Viktor's Short Program and Do These Boys Even Care What The Press Thinks Anymore?

Turin was a beautiful city. Christophe texted them a restaurant name and time, which Viktor and Yuuri could just about make if they were quick about getting checked in. Yakov approved, reminding Viktor that he had to skate and even a teenage boy could go overboard on pasta. Viktor laughed it off, and as soon as Yakov was gone, he threw an arm over Yuuri’s shoulders. “I did that. At the Olympics. Yakov swears I gained five pounds in one night, but I don’t believe him.”

“I should probably be careful, too. I don’t have that much time before Nationals.” Yuuri shuddered at the thought of having to go on a diet in Russia. Too many beets.

“You’ll be all right! Don’t limit yourself by what Chris and I do.”

Chris greeted them both with enthusiastic hugs. “When I win gold, do I get a medal kiss too?”

Yuuri and Viktor looked at each other. “Sure, why not?” Viktor said. “Of course, you know what the press will have to say about it.”

“If you both kiss it, then it won’t be too bad. Yuuri?”

“Okay. Win gold and I’ll kiss your medal too. But you have to kiss Viktor’s.”

Viktor's grin lit up his face. “Fair’s fair, Chris! You should kiss mine too.”

“Deal. Now, I am swearing both of you to secrecy about what I eat tonight. My coach is not going to approve.”

Despite Chris’s words, none of them went too nuts with their food. Chris’s competition would start the next day, Viktor had practice, and Yuuri had better sense. Yuuri felt the wave of disappointment as he settled into a seat with Viktor to watch Chris’s short program – he’d been so close to being on the ice. Viktor squeezed his hand. “You’ll do better next year. I know it.”

“Thanks. Still disappointed I didn’t make it this year. Of course, I wouldn’t have gotten close if it weren’t for you, so I guess this disappointment is kind of a good thing?”

“You could have. Yakov and I haven’t given you any skills or anything.”

“No, you’ve given me confidence. Which is a lot harder.”

Chris performed beautifully, finishing second after the short program. There was a Russian skater ahead of him, Vadim Sivakov, who had also won both his qualifying events. “Don’t worry, Chris! Your free skate is better than his. You’ll do fine tomorrow!” Viktor said.

“Even if I don’t, it’s the Grand Prix Junior Finals. Silver here is still great!”

“Yes, but it’s your last chance to win gold here before you have to compete against me for it." Viktor winked at Chris. "Or if you decided to stay another year in Juniors, Yuuri’s going to beat you next year.”

“Viktor!” Yuuri blushed hard.

Chris didn’t mind, though. “Having both of you to contend with is going to be fun. We’re going to destroy the senior circuit when you get up there, Yuuri.”

 

Chris’s free skate was the next day, followed by the seniors’ short programs. Viktor stayed out to watch Chris with Yuuri before heading into the changing room to get dressed. Chris’s program was beautiful, and Vadim finished just enough below him to give Chris the gold medal. Chris came to join Yuuri when he was free from the press.

“Got your medal with you?”

“Yes, but shouldn’t we wait for Viktor? If he’s right there then there’s no accusations of cheating.”

Yuuri sighed. “One of the few things I really hate about the past year. Before, I never did anything to get into scandals, but the only people who would have cared if I did are my parents. Now I have to think about everything I do or say in public.”

“In Switzerland I’m already getting a good deal of attention, but outside, even here? No one knows me yet unless it’s as Viktor’s friend. That’s going to change, now, but seeing the truth about what you and Viktor go through has made me appreciate it.”

Paul Chen came over to sit with Yuuri and Chris. “Been a while, Yuuri. I was disappointed when I saw you didn’t make it.”

“I was, too. Congratulations on your bronze!”

“Thanks! I skated against Vadim at our other event, and he beat me there, too. Already looking forward to Worlds. Third time’s the charm, right?”

“We can hope. Of course, you’ll still be getting bronze, but better than being kept off the podium!” Chris patted Yuuri’s shoulder. “I’m taking gold, Yuuri’s silver.”

“You both can try.” Paul grinned.

 

Having won both of his events, Viktor would skate last. Cao Bin and Misha were 2 and 3, respectively. Viktor didn’t actually know Cao Bin all that well, for all they’d been skating against each other for three years now. The few times he’d tried to talk to the guy, he got about four words out of him before he’d run off to focus. From what Misha said, he was perfectly social with the other Chinese skaters, but very few from outside his own country. Misha’s theory was that he only spoke enough English for the four words people could get out of him.

It being the Grand Prix Finals, you could count on everyone to do well. Misha stumbled a bit, finishing behind Belgium’s Aaron Delmote, while Cao Bin overtook both to be in first when Viktor went out to skate. As always, Viktor skated well. His score was only a little higher than the NHK, but it was enough to put him in first.

Yuuri and Chris met him as soon as he was changed with hugs. Flashes went off as Chris put his medal back on and both of the other boys kissed it. Viktor rolled his eyes before turning to face the press. “Hello!”

Some questions about skating, before someone brought it up. “Are you and Chris dating?”

“No. Chris is my best friend outside of my home rink. If we were dating, I would have kissed him, don’t you think?”

“So why did you kiss his medal?”

“Yuuri’s theory is that I’m part dragon." The reporters laughed at that. "Really, it’s just fun. Kissing my friends' gold medals is more fun than kissing my own.”

“Will Chris be kissing your medal if you win tomorrow?”

“He promised he would if I kissed his, so likely!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's late! I messed up with the file and couldn't post it this morning because it was on the wrong computer.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's Free Skate and afterwards.

Yuuri didn’t sleep well that night. Nightmares weren’t normally part of his anxiety, so he couldn’t explain why he was having such a bad string of them. He could, however, keep himself quiet so at least Viktor wouldn’t be disturbed.

Viktor wasn’t happy with him when he woke up. “You should have woken me. I don’t know exactly what I could have done about it, but I’m sure there’s something.”

“You have to skate today. I know what it’s like trying to skate on a bad night’s sleep a little too well. Couldn’t do that to you, even if I wasn’t afraid Yakov would kill me for it.”

“Yakov wouldn’t kill you. Yakov loves you. He’d have yelled a lot, but he wouldn’t kill you.” Viktor hugged Yuuri tightly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help.”

The rest of the day, Yuuri couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Chris and Paul both noticed. Chris knew about Yuuri’s anxiety and let it go, but Paul insisted on teasing him. Thankfully, he shut up when the skaters started their programs. Misha recovered well from the day before, taking first place, which Aaron’s free skate wasn’t enough to take from him. Cao Bin’s was.

The crowd cheered when Viktor took the ice. His ninja program was very popular. Through the first few elements, everything looked good. The first step sequence looked a little off to Yuuri, but then Viktor went into his final combination. Yuuri could see something wrong with the landing on the flip, but there wasn’t time to think about it as Viktor went down after the toe loop. He tried to get back up, but couldn’t.

Yuuri couldn’t move. As Viktor was helped off the ice, putting no weight on one leg, Chris finally got Yuuri up on his feet and gently pushed him toward the exit. “Viktor will be looking for you. Come on.”

When they got to medical, Chris wasn’t allowed in. They tried to keep Yuuri out, too, but Yakov shook his head. “The boy is Viktor’s soulmate. He’s got the right to be here if Viktor wants him.”

Viktor nodded enthusiastically, so the staff let Yuuri in. “Thanks, Coach.” Viktor was awake and didn’t seem too out of it, which was probably good. Yuuri went over to him and took his hand. “What happened?”

Viktor gestured to his skates, which had been removed and were laying on a chair. “The lace broke. The boot felt a little loose after the step sequence but there wasn’t anything I could do but continue. The flip loosened it up enough to where landing the toe loop, my skate went one way and my momentum carried me the other.”

“Which is why you check your laces before you go skate, Vitya! You’ve never been airheaded about your skating safety!” Yakov forced himself to calm down as one of the medics shushed him. “How did you not notice?”

“I did check the laces. I noticed it was a little frayed, but I thought it would hold up through one more performance. It wasn’t that bad, really. Just bad luck.”

“Bad luck that’s got you at best a sprained ankle and just from looking at that swelling, probably broken! It’s a month to Nationals. What do you think your chances of skating are, you foolish…” Yakov cut off as someone came over to get Viktor ready for an x-ray.

 

The ankle was, in fact, broken. Viktor kept up a cheerful attitude with Yakov and Chris, with the press, as he congratulated the medalists, as Misha helped Yuuri get Viktor to their hotel room. When the door closed, Viktor flopped on his bed and let the cheerfulness drop with his crutches. “I am so stupid. It would have taken two minutes to relace the skate. I know better.”

“You’re not stupid, Vitya.” Yuuri sat next to him and started stroking his hair. “I know you’re going to get sick of the question, but how are you feeling?”

“Like I’m going to annoy you to death over the next few days. Pain I can deal with. Helplessness, not so much. I’m so sorry.”

“For getting hurt, or for annoying me?”

“You had nightmares all last night and I was useless, couldn’t shake them… I should have been taking every precaution I could, and I didn’t.”

Yuuri forced a laugh. “Vitya, I had no way of knowing you were going to hurt yourself. I’m not psychic.”

“I’ve heard of things like that happening, when soulmates have a strong enough bond… but what I actually meant was just that if you were unsettled, being extra careful with safety should go without saying. Just to set your mind at ease.”

“Don’t worry about it. I mean it.” Viktor nodded, but it was hesitant. “Did this happen because of me? Because you were worried about my nightmares?”

“No.” Viktor sat up and grabbed Yuuri’s shoulders. “This happened because I got cocky or lazy and decided to risk the laces not holding up instead of fixing them. That has absolutely nothing to do with you. When I’m on the ice, or preparing to go on the ice, my head is in the game and whatever else I’ve been thinking about is shoved aside unless I can use it in my performance. I know your head’s probably telling you this is your fault, but don’t listen to it. This is my fault. My fault only.”

Yuuri couldn’t help the tears, but he nodded. “I’ll do my best to believe that. You should sleep.”

Viktor laid back down and closed his eyes briefly. “Thank you for being there for me in the exam room. I know that can’t have been easy for you, and it was selfish of me to want you there, but…”

“It was hard. But Viktor, it’s where I needed to be. Can you imagine what I’d have done to myself if I’d had to sit outside with Chris, waiting to hear the news? Maybe your reasoning was selfish, but you did the right thing.”

“Okay. Good night. You should sleep, too. You didn’t sleep well last night.”

Yuuri smiled and went back to petting Viktor’s hair. “I will. I promise. We don’t have to get up early tomorrow unless your ankle won’t let you sleep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. *hides* *leaves cookies*


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans made for Japan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these days I will remember that in order for Dropbox to open the most recent file, I have to save and close it on the other computer. One of these days. Today, sadly, was not that day.

Getting back to Russia was an adventure with Viktor on crutches. Airports were not exactly the friendliest places for the mobility impaired - but it meant they got to board early. Once back, things became even more fun. This was another side of himself that Viktor usually tried to hide from the press: he got surly when he couldn’t do what he wanted. Yuuri tried to help, but he couldn’t glue Viktor’s ankle back together so he could skate. Some days, Viktor would come to the rink and work out as much as he could; other days he would stay home and play with Makkachin, Vicchan, and Potya.

Georgi and Misha weren’t particularly bothered by Viktor’s injury. Sure, they were sorry it had happened, but they’d been injured themselves or around injured rinkmates before. It was harder on Mila and Yuri. For the first few days after they got home, Mila wouldn’t even smile out on the ice. Georgi said that when Yuri saw Viktor not finish his program, he’d cried – something that Yuri denied vehemently.

Yakov worked Misha, Georgi, and Yuuri hard in preparation for their Nationals. When Viktor was around, Yakov drafted him to keep the little ones busy. He couldn’t be on the ice with them, but he was used to watching video and offering criticism based on that. Yurio was learning to turn and hop, and Mila was working on practicing her double jumps.

Unlike normal, Russia was holding its Nationals after the New Year. Viktor had been very excited about that as it would mean he and Yakov could go to Yuuri’s and Yuuri could come to his. He was now rather frustrated – he’d still get to go to Japan with Yuuri, but he wouldn’t get to skate his own. He was keeping the ninja routine for exhibitions, though.

A few days before, Yakov called Yuuri and Viktor into a meeting. “We’re flying out on the 24th. Yuuri, you have practice on the 25th, other than that the day’s yours. I’m trusting you to be responsible, but it is Vitya’s birthday, so have fun. The 26th is another practice day, short program 27th, free skate 28th, exhibition 29th. On the 30th, unless either of you object, I’m sending you to Hasetsu until after Russian Nationals.”

“Why after?” Viktor asked. “Not that I’m complaining about the time in Hasetsu with Yuuri’s family, but…”

“For one thing, it’s going to be hard enough on you not being able to skate there. Having you go would just make that worse. For another, if you show up, the press will be all over you looking for updates about your injury and your plans for next season. I’d like the focus to be where it belongs – on the skaters who are competing.”

“Oh." Viktor took a moment to process, but the smile that eventually came out was genuine. "Good idea! Yuuri?”

Yuuri thought it over. “I’m sorry to miss Misha and Georgi, but it’ll be quieter, easier, and good to see everyone back home. Thank you, Yakov.”

“Yuuri.” Yakov made sure he had Yuuri’s attention. “You'll have two months until your next competition. Take it easy and enjoy being home.”

“But…”

“Don’t argue with me. I’m not saying no skating, just telling you to take it easy. It shouldn’t be too hard, since Viktor still can’t skate yet.”

Yuuri glanced at Viktor. “That’s true. All right. I’m sorry.”

 

As Yuuri packed for the trip, Minako came to find him. “Yuuri?”

Yuuri glanced up from the pile of clothes on his bed. “Yes, Minako?”

“I’ve been thinking, and we should talk.”

Yuuri quickly finished folding the pants he was holding. “Okay. What about?”

Minako came the rest of the way into the room. “I’ve been thinking it’s getting to be time for me to go back to Japan. Moving back, not for a visit.”

“Oh.” Yuuri sat on his bed. He'd known this was coming eventually. It didn't make it any easier. “You’re probably right. It’s been nearly a year since I met Viktor, eight months here…”

“You’ve decided to stay here, you’re comfortable with Yakov and Lilia, Yakov and Viktor can act as your guardians, and you seem to be happy. I’ll be there on the phone or Skype any time you need me. Don’t worry about time zones. I’ll still come visit often. It’s been nice seeing Lilia again, reestablishing our friendship.”

“I’m going to miss you, but you’re right. I don’t need you the way I did back in April, and you have your own life in Hasetsu that you put on hold to come with me.” Yuuri got to his feet and hugged Minako. “I’m going to miss you, but if you want to go home, then you should.”

Minako hugged back. “Thank you for understanding. I’m going to miss you.”

“Do you know when you’re going?”

“Not yet. I’m going with you and Viktor to Nationals and then to Hasetsu, and I’ll talk to Mari and Ryoko and figure out a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My family once held up an international flight from Chicago to Dublin.
> 
> My 80-year-old grandmother fell in the airport in Dallas. She didn't tell anyone until we were underway, but she ended up breaking several ribs. Then the flight from Dallas to Chicago was late, giving us like fifteen minutes to get from one end of O'Hare to the other. There was no way she was gonna make it. The crew of our flight called over and asked them to hold the flight while they got her there.
> 
> My grandmother is a badass. We were headed for Ireland, and with broken ribs, she insisted on joining us to walk around various cities and go through castles and basically didn't let her injuries stop her from doing anything (although she was glad when Dad and I decided we were not joining the rest of the family for a walking tour because we wanted to go see Fungi the Dolphin, because that was a lot easier on her).
> 
> Also: I am aware that in the real world Russia having their Nationals in December is a recent thing and January was the old normal. However, I needed to move them for plot way back at the beginning of this. Moving them now so Yakov doesn't have to miss two in a row. :D


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arrival in Kadoma for Senior Nationals. They celebrate Viktor's birthday.

As he and Viktor settled into their hotel room, Yuuri got a text from Phichit and yelped with joy. “Phichit got his math grade up to where it needed to be! He’ll be here late tomorrow night!”

Viktor came to look over Yuuri’s shoulder and gave him a hug. “That’s amazing! Is Yuuko here yet?”

“Yeah, she’ll be at practice tomorrow. Takeshi and Mari are going to be here tomorrow evening since the ladies skate the day after.”

“So after practice tomorrow it’s going to be us and Yuuko?”

“Maybe. Yuuko may excuse herself, say she wants to spend Christmas with her parents or something.” Yuuri wasn't sure about that. Yuuko's annoyance with her mother was getting to the point where she very well might decide that crashing Viktor and Yuuri's day was the better option.

“Oh.” Viktor’s eyes lowered and he sat on his bed. “Is it because of the press? The soulmate nonsense?”

“What? No. It’s because it's your birthday.” Viktor looked confused, causing Yuuri to shake his head. This must be a cultural difference. “I don’t know how you do it in Russia, but in Japan, most people expect to spend their actual birthday just with their soulmate, if they know who that is. You celebrate with your friends and family on a convenient day close to the birthday.”

“Oh! In Russia, we pretty much only celebrate on the actual day – it’s unlucky to celebrate before.”

“Which is why we didn’t do anything at the rink before we left,” Yuuri realized. He’d been wondering. “Well, it’s your birthday. I bet if I call Mari she and Takeshi can get here earlier tomorrow.”

“That won’t upset you?” Viktor’s face contorted. “Sorry, that sounded weird. ‘Hey, Yuuri. Are you sure you’re okay with spending the day with your sister and your two oldest friends?’ But you know what I meant, right?”

“Yeah, I know. I’m good with it. We can do our private celebration on the 29th, the day you made it to Hasetsu, if you want to do one. It’s kind of the spirit of Japanese custom anyway.”

 

As Yuuri had thought, Mari and Takeshi were perfectly happy to come early, knowing that they would be welcome. They got to Kadoma around lunchtime, and met up with Yuuri, Viktor, and Yuuko at a ramen place. “Viktor, how much exploring are you up for?”

“Some. Not nearly as much as usual, but we don’t have to spend the whole time sitting around the hotel just because of me.”

“Fair enough.” Takeshi pulled out his phone. “Go explore for a bit, and then when Viktor needs to take a break, we could go see the Simpsons movie?”

“Oh my gosh, yes!” Viktor clapped. “Spider-Pig!”

Mari raised an eyebrow. “Or we could skip exploring all together and take the dork here to the movie right away.”

“No, no, I don’t want to miss seeing sights. What’s around here?” Viktor asked.

Yuuko thought for a bit. “Well, Yuuri probably wants to go to the Science and Technology Center in Osaka, you might like the castle… although it’s not a cover for a ninja house, sorry.”

Yuuri tried to talk Viktor into doing what he wanted to do, but nobody had any suggestions that sounded better to Viktor than taking Yuuri to the Science and Technology Center. When Viktor was tired, they found a theater showing the Simpsons Movie and settled in for a good time.

At dinner, Viktor kept talking about Spider-Pig. “How is it that the second-oldest person here is the biggest dork?” Yuuko asked between giggles.

“Talent and hard work!” Viktor winked at Yuuko. “I’m sure Yakov would love to know where he went terribly wrong with me, if you and Yuuri ever figure it out. Maybe he can avoid it with Yurio!”

Yuuko blushed. “Oh, I didn’t mean…”

“Yuuko, it was a joke.” Yuuri reached over and patted her shoulder. “Yakov did go terribly wrong with him somewhere, but not in letting him grow up to be so easily excited by things like ninjas and Spider-Pig. That’s cute.”

Takeshi rolled his eyes. “Of course his soulmate finds his dorkiness endearing.”

“Yeah, even Kokei seemed cute at first, Yuuri.”

“Shut up. Viktor is nothing like Kokei,” Yuuri snapped.

Mari shrugged. “Not like Kokei was then, anyway.”

“What?” Yuuri looked over to Yuuko and Takeshi, who wore identical shocked looks.

“Oh. Right. Your pal Phichit found him on social media for me and it seems like this changed man thing is genuine. If that sticks… I dunno. It’s good to know he’s not out there making some other girl’s life hell.”

“Mari…” Yuuri started.

“I’m a big girl, Yuuri. I’m not gonna do anything stupid. Phichit’s gonna check in on him every few months. Right now, that’s as far as the plan goes. Didn’t mean to compare you to him, Viktor. Just saying that things that seem cute at first can get old.”

 

After dinner, they headed back to the hotel, where Yuuri was attacked by a flying hug missile that turned out to be a small boy made of smile and sunshine. “Hi Yuuri!”

“Phichit?” Yuuri guessed.

“Yep!” Phichit waved. “Nice to meet you in person!”

“You too! I’m sure you recognize Viktor and Yuuko from pictures online. This is our friend Nishigori Takeshi, and my sister Mari.”

“Hi everyone!”

“Think anyone would mind if I kidnapped him and took him home with us?” Mari asked. “Mom and Dad would love having this much happiness around.”

“My dad probably would.” Phichit pointed out a man sitting in the lobby reading a book. “But I’m hoping to get to visit Hasetsu someday. Yuuri makes it sound awesome!”

“It is awesome!” Viktor said. “You have to come out and get some katsudon. It’s heaven’s food on Earth!”

Yuuri shook his head with a smile and walked over to Phichit’s dad. “Hi. I’m Katsuki Yuuri, Phichit’s friend from social media.”

Phichit's dad shook Yuuri's hand. “I know. Phichit makes us watch your performances all the time. Viktor’s, too.”

“Sorry about that. Thank you for bringing him to this. It’s great to finally get to meet him face to face.”

“Yes. Phichit!” Phichit came running over. “Be back in the room by 2200. If you’re leaving the hotel, text me to let me know where you’re going.”

“Cool! Thanks Dad!”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Senior Nationals, Short Programs. More adorableness from Phichit and invasiveness from the press.

Yuuri was very nervous in practice. He was the youngest person on the ice, and watching the seniors practicing their quads reminded Yuuri how much work he had to do before he’d be able to compete with them. Yakov told him to focus, that he wasn’t necessarily here to win, just to measure his progress and see how he stood in comparison to the seniors. Logically, Yuuri knew that he could finish in the top ten, and it would be something to be proud of. Emotionally, it wasn’t that simple. Yuuri was a competitor. He liked to win.

He settled down as he joined Viktor, Mari, Takeshi, and Phichit to watch Yuuko’s skate. She’d drawn fifth in the second group. She’d made a few changes to her program to make it better fit the expectations of seniors, and her score reflected that, jumping up from just over 50 to very close to 56. It put her second for the time being, and fifth by the end of the day.

Phichit got the first hug by being small, slippery, and excitable. “That was so pretty! You’re great!”

“Thanks!” Yuuko hugged everyone else. When she got to Yuuri, she said, “I’m in fifth, can you believe it? Final group tomorrow!”

“I know! You did really great out there.”

“You’ll do well, I know it. I hope you make the final group, too!”

“Yeah, that would be nice. I just want to represent the Ice Castle well.”

“And on that note, I see a couple reporters looking around. I’m gonna go see if they’re looking for me.” Yuuko headed off, followed by Takeshi.

“Oh, um, speaking of reporters?” Phichit said, voice shaking a little.

Viktor growled and Yuuri facepalmed. “Whose soulmate are they saying you are?”

“What? Not…" Phichit shook his head rapidly. "It’s not that bad! And I’ve got the Hamster Brigade out already. For now, they don’t even know who I am, they just have pictures of us hanging out in the lobby last night. ‘Katsuki and Nikiforov hanging out with unknown younger boy.’ You’re probably gonna get asked about it tomorrow.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Me? I want you to tell them my name and that we’re bros!” Phichit lit up in a brilliant smile, which faded quickly. “Dad’s overruling. He wants me kept out of the Katsuki-Nikiforov Three-Ring Media Circus as long as possible, so don’t do that.”

Viktor laughed. “Are you sure we can’t kidnap him and bring him to Hasetsu?”

Phichit lit up again. “I’m all for it, but again, Dad’s overruling. Sorry!”

“Thanks for the warning, Phichit. Can you come to dinner with us?” Yuuri asked.

“Yep! I just have to tell Dad where we’re going, and he’ll probably follow us there. Just in case. Not to crash or anything, just keeping an eye on me.”

After dinner, everyone went to Viktor and Yuuri’s hotel room to watch “The King and the Skater”. Yuuko, Takeshi, and Viktor had never seen it, which Phichit declared could not be allowed to stand. As they watched, Phichit kept up a commentary, talking about the actors, the Thai version of the historical encounter, the book, and whatever else popped into his mind. When it started getting late, Phichit was the first to leave, followed by Yuuko and Takeshi. Mari stayed a little longer. “Minako said she’s coming back. You okay, Yuuri?”

“Yeah. We talked about it, and it’s time.” Yuuri hugged his sister. “It’s still hard sometimes, but the people in Russia feel like a second extended family.”

 

Before practice the next day, Yakov asked Yuuri about the articles. “So far they’ve been harmless – the worst is saying that you’re a bit too friendly for a competitive skater. Nothing to worry about – yet.”

“Phichit’s aware of them and keeping an eye on them. He’s asked us not to name him, give him as much privacy as we can.”

“Good. That was going to be my advice. Where’s your head?”

“On the ice. I’d like to make top six, like Yuuko did, but if I don’t, well, that just means I have some hard work to do before I move up.”

Yakov actually smiled. “Good attitude. I like it. Does Viktor have a guess for what your score should be?”

“With the triple axel, he thinks I can get over 70. If I do well, of course.”

“Which you will. Are you ready?”

“I will be.”

Yuuri was skating in the middle of the third group. His triple axel went well – he could have gotten a little more height, but he got the rotations in. He wasn’t much more tired than normal as he approached the end of his program, either. His performance shone brightly as he danced across the ice. The entire crowd was singing along, but Yuuri wasn’t listening to the crowd. He was listening to a very enthusiastic boy singing while he introduced his friends to his favorite movie. It elevated his performance, remembering Phichit’s eagerness and joy.

Even so, Yakov had no shortage of things to say in the Kiss and Cry lecture. He congratulated Yuuri when the score popped up – well over 72, putting him currently in third place, only seven hundredths behind second. To Yuuri’s amazement, that held up, and when the last skater’s score was in, Yuuri was still in third. Viktor was so happy that he picked Yuuri up in a bear hug. “That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you, Yuuri!”

In interviews, after congratulations, the first question was one Yuuri absolutely expected. “With your success in the short program, do you think you’ll move up to seniors for next year?”

“This is just the short program. The free skate counts for a lot more, and I’ll have to wait and see where I am in the end. Then there will be probably several discussions with my coach, talks with my other mentors and my family, and a lot of weighing the pros and cons of a move up.”

“What influence will Viktor have on your decision?”

“Well, he’s been through it, so I’d imagine he’ll have some good advice. I’ll be talking to Chris, too – he was thinking about moving up for this season but chose not to, but he probably will move up for next season, so he’s been thinking about it a lot.” The reporter didn’t look satisfied, and it occurred to Yuuri what he’d probably meant. He caught himself before he could roll his eyes on camera. “I will not be moving up specifically to compete against Viktor, or staying in juniors to avoid him.”

That, the reporter was happy to accept. Yuuri moved on to the next question. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with a boy. Who is he?”

Viktor had helped Yuuri figure out and rehearse the answer. “He’s a friend of mine and Viktor’s. I feel quite certain that one day you’ll all know his name, but for now, we’re happy to leave that as a thing for everyone to look forward to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm a noodleloaf. I posted this chapter in my Phichit Chulanont Week fics. What the pancake, me?  
> (At least this explains why no one had anything to say about it!)


	20. Chapter 20

Yuuri got free of the interview in plenty of time to find his friends in the stands. “They asked.”

“Of course they did.” Viktor wrapped an arm around Yuuri. “Did they accept the answer?”

“Yes. You’re safe for now, Phichit. I don’t know how long it’ll last, but we can hope they learned from the past.”

“I hope so! If my soulmate’s a lot older than me, I’d hate for them to spend years seeing speculation that I’m someone else’s soulmate and not be able to say anything.”

Yuuko’s skating was beautiful as usual, and she once again beat her personal best score by breaking 90. It wasn’t going to be good enough to get her a medal, as she was in third place with four people left to skate, but she was guaranteed a top ten finish. She ended up finishing seventh, which had her beaming.

Takeshi nearly crushed her with his post-skate hug. “What’s this mean for next year?”

“I’ll be announcing my intention to move up to seniors if anyone wants to interview me today, which they might, because while no one cares about seventh place I’m friends with Katsuki Yuuri and therefore Interesting To The Media. As far as skating next year… I hope so, but who knows?”

“We all hope to see you here next year too,” Yuuri said. “When you get done with interviews, come back to my room, Viktor and I are going to pick up takeout and then we're joining Mari and Phichit to watch King and the Skater 2 and maybe 3 depending on time.”

“Oh, that sounds fun!” Takeshi finally let go of Yuuko, who straightened her jacket and went off to see if anyone was looking for her.

 

As Yuuri got dressed for his free skate, he could feel the nerves and pressure trying to crawl back in. Yesterday, there had been no expectations. Today, he was in medal position and people would be disappointed if he couldn’t hold on and finish high.

“Yuuri. I watched the other top skaters’ free skates last night. If you go out and skate your program the way you know you can, you’ll be top ten. Even being as high as you are now, all we care about is seeing where you are, and top ten in your country before you’re even eligible to compete internationally at that level is great.”

“I know. I just don’t want to let anyone down.”

“You won’t. Viktor’s prediction?”

Yuuri shook his head with a smile. “He’s upset with himself for underestimating me yesterday. He thinks I can get 125 today. He wanted to say 128 to make up for yesterday, but I convinced him that I wasn't too terribly insulted by two points.”

Yakov snorted. “Viktor’s a bit dramatic.”

“Are you seriously just now noticing that?”

Yakov moved to where he could stare Yuuri in the eyes. “Did you just sass me?”

“Um… yes?” Everyone else did, even Mila and Yurio, but maybe Yuuri wasn’t allowed because Yakov had only taken him because he was Viktor’s soulmate?

Yakov chuckled. “About time. I was starting to wonder if you’d ever get comfortable enough for that.”

One advantage of skating late: Yuuri could do the math. He’d been close to 120 before, and with the tweaks and the way performance scores were going, Viktor’s 125 seemed reasonable. If he got the 120, he would be top ten. With 125, he’d likely be top five. All he had to do was skate clean.

His program started well, and the crowd was into the performance as Yuuri skated. His spins and footwork were brilliant. He made it through the jumps with nothing worse than a bit of a stumble landing his triple flip-double loop combo. When he hit his final pose, Yuuri was extremely pleased with his skate.

The judges were pleased, too, and Viktor was proven right. 125, for a combined 198, and a guaranteed top five finish as he was in third. Yakov was very proud, and let Yuuri know it. Both of the last two skaters beat Yuuri, which didn’t bother him at all. Fifth was still great. It also meant there likely wouldn’t be pressure from the JSF to move up that summer, like there would have been if he’d medaled.

Phichit beat Viktor to Yuuri for the first hug. He was replaced quickly, and Yuuri was nearly overwhelmed with his friends’ appreciation. Once the hugs were finally done, there was an official waiting to invite Yuuri to skate in the exhibition the next day. Yuuri accepted, and got another hug from Viktor.

“A top five finish. Is that good enough?” a reporter asked as soon as Yuuri was available for questions.

“Good enough for who? Coach Yakov is very pleased with how I did. I’m still trying to process that it’s real.”

“Good enough that you would move up to Seniors next year.”

“Oh. Honestly, I don’t know. It’s definitely a confidence boost, knowing I can compete at that level, but there’s a lot to consider. I won’t be announcing a decision until after Junior Worlds at the least.”

“You won’t be announcing, but haven’t you already made your decision?”

Yuuri's brow wrinkled and he tilted his head a little. “No. I haven’t. I don’t like making decisions until I have all the data I need, and I’ve only just started gathering it. How I do at Junior Worlds will have an impact on my decision, so I can’t have made it.”

“If you win, you’ll move up?”

“If I win, it would definitely be a point in favor of moving up.”

Yuuri escaped as soon as he could. “Why are they so obsessed with whether I’m moving up anyway?”

“Because they’re excited to write about the Power Couple competing against each other,” Phichit said. “Personally, I hope you stay in Juniors another two years so you’re there for my first season, but I can’t imagine why you would.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hasetsu! <3

Yuuri’s exhibition skate was captivating. Yuuri spent a lot of the morning apologizing to Viktor for what was supposed to have been their day to celebrate his birthday getting taken over. Viktor just shrugged it off with a huge smile. “What an awful birthday celebration, getting to watch my favorite skater performing with no pressure or judges, just skating for the love of it. I’ll spend the whole time you’re practicing thinking up ways you can make it up to me.”

Phichit had to leave right after the exhibition skate, so Viktor’s plan for Yuuri to make it up to him ended up being making Yuuri watch yet another ninja movie with him while they split a sushi platter. Yuuri had complained, and then apologized for complaining, and then turned beet red when Viktor waved off the apology with “Listening to you complain is half the fun of these movies! You’re so creative about it.”

The trip to Hasetsu was amazing. It was exactly what Viktor needed – except that he couldn’t get in the hot spring because of his ankle. Hiroko fussed over Viktor, making him food and getting him anything he needed or wanted. When Toshiya wasn’t busy, he sat with Viktor and told him stories about Yuuri as a child. Yuuri tried to stop it, but then Hiroko brought out the photo albums. He refused to join them to go through them. “Oh, no, that’s okay, I’ll just be over here in the corner dying of embarrassment.”

Baby Yuuri was every bit as adorable as Viktor had imagined. Hiroko had pictures of Mari carrying Yuuri around, Yuuri having figured out how to take off his pull-up diaper so he was running around the inn completely naked, Yuuri on ice skates (“That was his first skating lesson, he spent most of it falling down.” “That’s not uncommon, if you’re looking to get into figure skating. Falling is a very important skill.”), Yuuri dressed for a ballet performance with Minako, Yuuko, Takeshi, and a few other children (“It was the only time he ever did a ballet recital. Minako and I were hoping he’d stay with it, but his heart belonged to the ice even then.”), Yuuri with his first skating medal (“It’s hanging up in a display in the Ice Castle.”), Yuuri and Vicchan when Vicchan was even tinier than he was now. Lots of others.

When they reached the end, Viktor hobbled over to sit by Yuuri. “Fair’s fair. When we get back, you can look at mine. I know Yakov has some, and I have the ones my parents took.”

“It’s still not fair. Even when you were tiny, you were still you.”

“Just wait until you see me around… eleven? I think? I’ll sometimes give out photos of my younger self to magazines and such for articles, but there was a period that I will never show anyone. I was so awkward and horrible.”

“I don’t believe you. You handled growth spurts without ever getting knobby and clumsy and awkward.”

“The knobby was luck or genes or something, but the clumsy and awkward was hard work and talent. You’ll be fine.”

Russian Nationals came and went. Misha won, as expected with Viktor out, and Georgi took silver. That was a little bit of a surprise, but not much. Viktor couldn’t help the jealousy and regret as he watched, but there were consolations to being hurt and missing out. This whole trip to Hasetsu wouldn’t have been possible if Viktor had to skate.

The night before they were due to leave, Mari sent Yuuri on an errand that even Viktor recognized as an excuse to get him away from the inn. She and Takeshi then sat Viktor down for a chat. “So. Viktor. You’re treating Yuuri right?” Mari started.

“Yes.” Did Mari actually think he would tell her if he weren't? Of course, the way Mari was looking at him... maybe he would be intimidated enough to admit to treating her brother horribly. If he were. Which he wasn't and never would be.

“It’s obvious every time you look at him. Good for you. I had my doubts about you, but I'm sold.” Mari lit her cigarette.

Okay, what? If this wasn't about interrogating Viktor about Yuuri, what did they want? “…Thank you?”

Takeshi interrupted. “Mari and I are plotting something, and we may need your help. You have to keep this completely secret. If you tell Yuuri, make sure he understands that too. Got it?”

“Not really. If it’s okay if Yuuri knows, why did you send him away?”

“Because Yuuri is a terrible liar, but in Russia, no one’s going to ask him questions that make him feel like he’s hiding something.” Takeshi and Mari both leaned forward, and Takeshi continued. “Specifically, we are keeping this from Yuuko and her mother.”

“Ah! What is it?”

“We’re all hoping her soulmate is a good person with the balls to tell her mom to go to hell, he and Yuuko will get married and start a family when they’re ready for it and not before, but we’re planning for all contingencies. When I check in with her, hopefully before her mother does, if she’s not happy with her dream I’m kidnapping her. She’ll lay low here or with the Nishigoris until we can get her somewhere safe, and Takeshi thought that Russia would be safe for her." Mari smirked a little. "Unless her soulmate is some asshole Russian guy, but what are the odds of that?”

“Should I be insulted?”

Mari shook her head. “You’re not an asshole. If you were, Yuuri wouldn’t be so happy.”

“If you can get her on the plane out of Japan, I can get her from the airport in Russia. If she can’t stay in Russia or Japan, I bet Chris will help.”

“Good. Got that settled. Personally, I'm pretty sure this won't actually be necessary, but better to have plans we don't need." Mari waved her cigarette vaguely at Takeshi and fixed a stern glare on Viktor. "Don’t make me regret trusting you with this, or with my brother.”

Viktor found himself even more reluctant to leave Hasetsu than Yuuri was. Even when his parents were alive and his sister was still at home, he’d never been surrounded by anything like this. It seemed as though the entire town was full of love for Yuuri – and, by extension, Viktor. Even the kids at school who had once bullied Yuuri, whenever they ran into them, they were polite and looking for autographs. One time he’d overheard a group of girls talking, and one of them was boasting about how she was one of the first people Yuuri and Viktor had told. Viktor snuck a picture of her, and Yuuri confirmed that yes, she was the friend of the one whose MySpace post had started the media circus. “You must have misunderstood. She wouldn’t have been boasting about our friendship. We weren’t friends.” Viktor knew what he’d heard, and he’d seen revisionist memories before. Still, he chose not to argue with Yuuri.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in Russia, Yuuri trains and Viktor gets progressively more annoyed at his ankle. Then a culture clash nearly gives Viktor a heart attack.

January passed in a rush of practice for Yuuri and a slow grind of waiting for Viktor. He was still working with Mila and Yurio from the side of the rink, and when they were in tutoring, he listened to music and watched skating videos to try to find inspiration for the next season. He also spent time looking for an official publicist, which was tedious and annoying, but he hoped would pay off when he found someone good. The main problem with most of the people he talked to was that they were only interested in Viktor. He was incredibly grateful when, at the end of the month, the doctors said his cast could come off and he could begin rehab.

He and Yuuri watched Europeans together at Lilia’s. They had the place to themselves, since Lilia had taken Yuri and Mila to Moscow. Misha kicked ass, taking a solid lead after the short program, and Georgi was in fourth. Viktor grinned easily. “They’d better enjoy it. Next year, I’ll be back.”

“Chris will be there, too! That’ll be a lot of fun." Yuuri smiled back. "I hope Yakov lets me come.”

Viktor shrugged. “He should, as long as you’ve been training well. Four Continents or Junior Worlds, there’s still plenty of time for you to polish.”

“I hope so. Of course, that’s assuming I make it. If a growth spurt hits just wrong, you never know.” Yuuri turned off the TV. “Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day here in Russia?”

Viktor sat straight up. “Yes… why? Do you want to do something for it?” That was not something Viktor had expected. Not this year. Next year, maybe.

Yuuri looked up at him, confusion all over his face. “You’re surprised? We are soulmates.”

“We didn’t do anything last year. Yakov would have let me come to Hasetsu for a couple days.”

“Well… last year, things were still so new. It felt too surreal to be true, right up until you gave me the trip to Worlds. It's just as well, I suppose. I don’t know if I could have handled you coming for a couple days just to leave again. I thought I was being ridiculous, missing you as much as I did.”

“I know I was being ridiculous, Misha and Yakov told me often enough."

"Besides, you wouldn't have needed to come to Japan just for Valentine's Day."

"Oh? How is it celebrated in Japan?” Maybe this was another cultural difference, like the birthday thing. 

“Women buy chocolate for male friends or coworkers, and either buy or make chocolate for their soulmates. The soul bond is the main focus of the holiday, but if we were in Japan, Yuuko would definitely buy both of us chocolate. Then on March 14th, men buy presents for the women who gave them chocolate.”

Viktor relaxed, flopping back down on the floor. “Okay, but what about us? Since neither of us is a woman…”

“There’s two ways of handling it, and which way it’s done just kind of depends where you are. In Hasetsu, I would take Valentine’s Day and you would take White Day, but in the big cities, same-sex soulmates will often just celebrate whichever one applies to them. What about in Russia?”

“It’s a lot different. It’s a celebration of romance and love. Not all soulmates celebrate it, especially in cases like ours, and some people celebrate with people who aren’t their soulmates.”

“Oh.” Yuuri’s eyes went wide. “Oh! No wonder you were surprised I asked! I didn't mean...”

“It's okay, Yuuri. I know what you meant, now. If you want to exchange chocolate, that sounds good!" Viktor reached out and squeezed Yuuri's hand. "You should probably text Chris, too, it’s his birthday.”

"Really?"

"Really!" Viktor got up. "Skating's over. Assassin's Creed?"

Yuuri shook his head and laughed. "You're obsessed with that game."

 

Rehab sucked. Viktor's ankle was weak, his entire leg was wobbly, and he still couldn’t skate yet. It was, at least, positive progress. It was really nice being able to walk like a normal person again, even if he did have to wear a boot.

Misha’s shiny gold medal served as motivation. It’s not that he begrudged his friend the medal. It just reminded him that if he wanted one the next year, whining and feeling sorry for himself and using the pain and weakness as excuses were not going to get him there.

Not being in serious training also meant that he could eat the chocolate that Yuuri made him, along with what Yuuko, Mari, and Hiroko sent, without feeling too guilty about breaking his diet. He was very glad Yuuri had brought up the different Valentine’s Day traditions, otherwise he would have been very confused when he got the extra chocolate.

At his final visit to the doctor before leaving for Junior Worlds, Viktor got the best news ever. “When you get back, you’ll have to check with me to make sure nothing went wrong out there, but you should be able to start skating. No jumps, not yet, but you’ll be back on the ice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you imagine the confusion Viktor would have gone through, getting chocolate for Valentine's Day from Yuuri's sister and old friend, not knowing that Valentine's Day is very different in Japan?
> 
> In our world, the special chocolate is for the one you love. In their world, it's all about the soulmate. If you don't know who your soulmate is, you don't get fancy with the chocolate.
> 
> (If you're wondering: No, Mari is not going to get Kokei anything.)


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Bulgaria! Hi friends!

The trip to Bulgaria was short, at least compared to the trips to Japan and Turin. They arrived on the 24th, and the next two days were practice for Yuuri. Viktor, with his newly healed ankle, was eager to prowl around as much as he could.

“Viktor! You’re looking much better,” Chris observed when he met up with them after practice on the 25th. “Hello, Yuuri! Congratulation, junior champion of Japan!” Chris hugged them both.

“Congratulations, junior champion of Switzerland. Did you have a good birthday?”

“I did! Thank you.” They headed out to find lunch and then interesting things to do.

After touring a couple churches, they ended up at a military history museum. “Shouldn’t we have come last year, when you were still planning this year’s programs?” Yuuri teased. Viktor stuck his tongue out at him. “Wow… after this, the season’s done.”

“And you’ll have to make an actual decision about moving up. What are you thinking?” Chris asked.

Yuuri shrugged. “I’m thinking I’ll see how things go this week. If I win gold, I’m moving up. I’m not going to win gold, though. That should be you.”

“Well, naturally.” Chris winked. “Would love to see you right below me, though!”

They ran into Paul on the way to dinner, and invited him to join them. Afterward, they went to a park to hang out. “Hey, Yuuri?” Chris said. “That kid you were hanging out with in Japan, was that your friend from online?”

“Yep! He’s so much fun. You’ll love him when you finally get a chance to meet him.”

“I'm sure I will." Chris smiled. "He skates too, right?”

“Yeah. He’ll be starting juniors season after next. He’s sent me a couple videos of his novice programs, and he’s good.”

“Can we see them?” Paul asked.

Yuuri thought for a minute. He couldn't see the harm. “I don’t have them on my phone, but if you two want to come back to the hotel, I can show you on my computer.”

After watching the videos, Chris and Paul were both impressed. “Wow, he is good. Is Yakov looking at him?”

“No. Maybe if he turns out to be Mila’s soulmate, or Yurio’s, but he only works with Russian skaters and their soulmates,” Viktor said. He grinned as something occurred to him. “Can you imagine the mischief Mila and Phichit could cause if they were soulmates?

Paul looked blank, but Chris and Yuuri immediately burst into laughter. “If the universe has any sense of self-preservation, there’s no way,” Yuuri said.

Chris shook his head. “I’m trying to imagine happy playful Phichit and scowly focused Yurio as soulmates. It is not working.”

Yuuri smiled fondly. “You’ve never seen Phichit when he releases the hamster brigade."

"Or Yurio playing with his cat. It's adorable,” Viktor added.

“Who’s Yurio?” Paul finally asked.

“He’s a temporary rinkmate of these two. Six years old and determined to be the best skater to set blade to ice.”

“Almost seven. We’re going to miss his birthday, Yuuri!” Viktor pouted. “I know, he’s in Moscow, but still.”

“We can call him, and we’ve got plenty of time to get him something while we’re here. It's not like we'd have given him his presents before we left." Still, Yuuri felt a little bad for not having thought of it before they left.

 

Viktor insisted on going shopping with Yuuri after practice the next day. Chris and Paul tagged along. While Viktor considered some clothes for Yurio, Paul pulled Yuuri aside. “I told Celestino about your friend. He’d like to see the videos for himself, if that’s all right.”

Yuuri blinked. “What’s he wanting to see them for?”

“I think he’s interested in scouting. He was disappointed not to get you, you know.”

“Staying in Russia was the best option for me. It’s nothing against Celestino. He’d have been a great coach, but…”

Paul chuckled. “But he couldn’t compete with Viktor. He’s not mad or anything, he just would have loved to get you.”

“I should talk to Phichit first, but I can’t imagine he’d mind. His parents… hard to imagine Celestino leaving America for Thailand, and hard to imagine his parents letting him move to America by himself at twelve.” Phichit's parents would never let that happen.

“It happens all the time. Not necessarily Phichit’s parents, but a lot of parents send their kids off to train far away when they’re young.” Paul gestured at Yuuri. “Look at you.”

“I was fourteen, not twelve, and I didn’t go alone. Minako’s like my aunt, and Viktor was already there. Phichit… if he doesn’t have anyone to go with him, it’s not the same at all.”

“I guess. What’s the harm in asking, though?”

Yuuri shrugged and pulled out his phone to text Phichit. There was a response almost immediately. “Phichit says it’s okay with him – and his dad. I’ll send them to Celestino?”

 

“Yuuri! Have you seen the news?”

Yuuri turned away from his game of Civilization. “Do I want to?”

“This one’s good.” Viktor plopped on the bed beside him and stole the laptop to pull up Google. “Chris and Paul might object, but we had a shopping double date today.”

“Well, neither of them’s eighteen yet. Who knows?” Yuuri skimmed the article Viktor clicked. “I wonder if either of them has seen this.”

Viktor pulled out his phone and texted Chris. He burst into laughter when he got the text back and read it to Yuuri. “Viktor, there’s no need to interrupt my date with Paul to tell me I’m dating Paul.”

“Huh. Interesting.”

“If I hadn’t come, would you have dated someone while you were waiting for your dream?”

Yuuri shook his head. “I told you before I’d hoped Yuuko would be my soulmate. By the time I was old enough to be interested in dating, she’d already know, and there wasn’t anyone else in Hasetsu I’d have wanted to date. Would it have bothered you if I had dated someone?”

“Probably. You wouldn’t have been doing anything wrong, lots of people do it, but it would have bothered me.”

“I hope Chris and Paul’s soulmates don’t feel the same way. Unless they’re soulmates, in which case, good for them.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the short program, the media's evil head pops back up.

Yuuri didn’t sleep well that night, although better than usual the night before a skate. He, Chris, and Paul were all in the later group to skate, so Viktor let Yuuri sleep as long as he wanted, even encouraged him to sleep longer when he started waking up. Yakov looked a little surprised to see them when they got to the rink for Yuuri to check in and start getting ready. “I wasn’t expecting you for another half hour. Viktor loves sleeping in.”

“I’m not Viktor.”

Yakov snorted. “Keep it that way. He’s a bad influence.”

“Hey! Standing right here!” Viktor protested.

Yakov glared at him. “Yes, you are. Why are you still here?”

“Because… I haven’t left to go sit in the stands yet?”

“I think what Yakov means is go sit in the stands, Viktor. I need to go get ready." Viktor turned to go, and Yuuri reached out to catch his arm. "Wait, first… prediction?”

Viktor put a finger to his lips to think. “Not as high as last time, because you have to go back to the double axel… 65? 68 if you hit the triple-triple on your combination. You’ve done that well in practice lately, so you should be able to today.”

“I’ll do my best!”

“I know you will.” Viktor gave Yuuri a quick hug before heading off to the stands.

 

Once dressed and with his hair done, Yuuri found a spot near Chris and Paul to stretch. Of the three of them, Paul would skate first – late in the third group. Yuuri and Chris were both in the last group. “Were you two really on a date when Viktor texted you, Chris?”

“Yes! I’d say I’m surprised the press has already caught on to us dating, but they probably haven’t, have they? Since that was our first date.”

“You’re not going to lecture us about waiting for our soulmates, are you?” Paul asked warily.

Yuuri shrugged. “None of my business.”

“Good. I’m getting it from my friends back home, and it sucks.” Paul shifted to a new stretch.

Paul’s skating was nearly flawless, which put him in first heading into the last group. Yuuri would skate first in the group. “This is your last time competing this program, Yuuri. Show me what you’ve got for it.”

“Yes, Coach.”

As Yuuri skated out to center ice, he heard a familiar voice shouting “Good luck!” at him. He turned and saw Phichit sitting between his father and Viktor, waving excitedly. With Phichit there to inspire him, Yuuri skated brilliantly. His double axel was perfect, with beautiful flow. Everything went well, and he went into the combination with unusual confidence. He landed the second triple – a bit wobbly, but on his foot.

When Yuuri reached the Kiss & Cry, he was a little surprised that Yakov was lecturing him. He’d thought maybe, since the programs were over, Yakov would skip it. On the other hand, he was probably going to have to do some of the elements next year too, so may as well. The lecture was very heavily focused on technical issues and general skating advice.

Yuuri’s score of 68 put him in second, behind Paul. To his surprise, that held up – Chris was right behind him with a 66 after a very shaky first jump. Chris was gracious about it. “You did well! There’s not a lot separating the three of us.”

Paul came over and slipped an arm around Chris. “No, there isn’t. If this is the podium? I’m very happy with that.”

“Hey, come on, before the media gets hold of us there’s someone I want you two to meet.” Yuuri led the older skaters out to where he knew he’d find Viktor and Phichit.

The hug missile attacked, but Yuuri was able to brace himself for it. “I only found out I was coming yesterday! Dad said no at first, but then my teacher called him to tell him I’d made full marks on my math test, and he was so pleased he changed his mind!”

“That’s great!” Yuuri turned to Chris and Paul. “This is Phichit. Phichit, Christophe Giacometti and Paul Chen.”

“Wow!” Phichit’s entire face lit up. “You guys are so cool!”

Yuuri took advantage of the distraction to claim a hug from Viktor. “You did great! You should be able to hold on and medal, if you can get some sleep tonight.”

“You should help him with that,” Paul said.

Yuuri looked at Paul in confusion. “He does. I sleep better before competitions when he’s here.”

The media wouldn’t leave them alone anymore, and the top three found themselves in front of reporters. It was almost boring until one reporter raised their hand. “Yuuri, would you like to say anything about Chihoko?”

Yuuri blinked a couple times. “Chihoko?”

“Miyazaki Chihoko.”

“Who is Miyazaki Chihoko?” Yuuri didn't know anyone by either name that he could think of.

“Ah… never mind, then.”

“No, you asked, and I’d like to answer. Who is that?" Yuuri tried to think of reasons someone would be asking him about a woman. Or girl. "Is she a skater here? I thought I knew who was skating for Japan, but…”

“No. No, she’s not a skater.”

“Then who is Chihoko and why would you ask me about her?”

Yakov interrupted. “If you’ll excuse us, I need to have a meeting with my skater. Now.” He grabbed Yuuri’s arm and led him away from the reporters, steering him outside. Viktor and Phichit were right behind them, both scowling. Phichit’s fingers were furiously flying over his phone. Yuuri had no idea what the hell was going on, and he was starting to get angry about it.

 

When they got back to the hotel, Yakov finally noticed Phichit was with them. “I hope you told your father you’re here.”

“I did.” Yakov raised a skeptical eyebrow, and Phichit held up his phone with the text message. “I did! I’m not going to do anything that means he’ll never bring me again!”

“Good. Yuuri, get your laptop and search for Chihoko.”

“Who the hell is Chihoko?” Yuuri did as instructed, and his jaw dropped. According to a tabloid article that had been picked up by a mainstream site, Yuuri had a girlfriend in Japan who he was still in love with even now. “Viktor? You’ve seen this?”

“I’ve seen it.” Viktor’s voice was strangled, choked up with anger.

Yuuri’s stomach tied itself up in knots. Why was Viktor so angry? “You know it’s not real, right? That this is as made up as that story about you dumping me back in Hasetsu after realizing I’m not your soulmate?”

“They have pictures, Yuuri. Whoever invented this is going to a lot of trouble to smear you.”

“But… you do believe it was invented?” Yuuri tried to keep his voice under control, to hide the fear. The last thing Viktor needed was to know how scared Yuuri was about this.

“Of course it’s invented. You told me yesterday that you’ve never dated and never wanted to.” Viktor glanced over at Yuuri, and immediately sat on the bed beside him and pulled him into a hug. “I don’t know who this Chihoko person is, but she’s not what they’re saying.”

Phichit glanced up from his phone. “So far, the Hamsters have found exactly one Miyazaki Chihoko, and she’s an 83-year-old great-grandmother of seven from the complete opposite end of Japan. The girl in the pictures they’re using is a model who posed for a series of stock photos, which is probably where they got the images.”

Yakov glared at Viktor. “Vitya, you’re out of time. You need to find a publicist.”

Viktor sighed. “I’m trying, but this is more an attack on Yuuri than me, and…”

“So hire Yuuri his own publicist, you idiot! As long as they work together, you can hire a whole team! Just get people out there so Yuuri doesn’t get ambushed in interviews.”

Viktor tightened his arm around Yuuri. “I’m sorry about that. Yakov’s right.”

“It’s okay. This only came out today, or Phichit would have caught it and warned us. Phichit, that's not me blaming you for the ambush either. You and the Hamster Brigade have been amazing, especially considering you're all doing it as a hobby instead of a job.”

Yakov cleared his throat. “I’ve already contacted the lawyers at both skating federations, and as soon as they know who to go after, they will be bringing everything they think they can make stick. In the meantime, you two need to get a response out there. Write something, run it by the lawyers, and get it out as quickly as you can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. I don't think I will EVER be over The Chihoko Incident. Had to get it in here. :D
> 
> Miyazaki Chihoko is no relation to Miko Miyazaki.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Free Skate and the aftermath. Viktor is Horribly Wounded (tm) and will never recover from Yuuri's betrayal.
> 
> (Or Viktor is a drama queen and blows things terribly out of proportion.)

Viktor and Yuuri spent the rest of the night working on their statement. They would do two. One was from Yuuri alone, disavowing any knowledge of Miyazaki Chihoko, with a note from Viktor at the end stating his unflinching belief in Yuuri’s statement and character. The other was from both Yuuri and Viktor calling out the media for their irresponsible speculations leading to these sorts of complete falsehoods.

Yuuri hit send on the email to the lawyers, having edited his statement with their recommendations. He’d also written an email to Larissa, asking for help. “How am I supposed to sleep after this, Vitya?”

“Forget Chihoko. She’s not even real." Viktor thought for a moment, finger to his lips, until he had a better suggestion. "Count ninjas until you fall asleep from boredom!”

Yuuri giggled. Leave it to Viktor to come up with something ridiculous. “Isn’t it supposed to be sheep?”

Viktor shrugged. “You said that sheep are more interesting than ninjas. You’re supposed to be boring yourself to sleep.”

It took Yuuri a minute to remember what Viktor was talking about. When it hit him, he started laughing harder. “I didn’t actually mean that! I was just trying to get out of watching yet another ninja movie.”

“You made me watch a documentary about sheep on a lie?” Viktor put a hand to his heart.

“It was the only other thing on!” It had actually been kind of interesting, more than another ninja movie would have been, but if there'd been something else on Yuuri probably would have chosen that instead.

“I can’t believe you would do such a thing to me! You can count ninjas. Or sheep. I don’t care anymore. You’ve wounded me. I’ll never recover.” Viktor flopped on his bed with a huge dramatic sigh.

Yuuri couldn’t stop giggling at Viktor’s theatrics. He felt much better as he slid into bed. “I’ll be sure and tell Paul you helped me sleep.”

Viktor sat up quickly. “Don’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because Paul meant something completely different.”

“He did? What did he… oh.” Yuuri’s face went crimson. “He’s going to be a terrible influence on Chris, isn’t he.”

 

Even with that unfortunate bedtime thought, Yuuri slept well. Viktor’s ridiculousness about the sheep and ninjas relaxed Yuuri enough to sleep, even if his dreams of mutant ninja sheep were somewhat disturbing when he woke up. Yuuri had practice in the morning, and then he and Viktor checked in with the lawyers. Both statements had been sent to their trusted reporters, and were getting out there. Yadama had also run a statement from Sakimoto Chikuma, the model whose photos had been used, confirming that she was not Miyazaki Chihoko and she had no familiarity with the skater who had been added to her pictures. Larissa had responded with some advice and reminders of things Yuuri could do to help himself fight back against the bad thoughts – and well-wishes for the second day of the competition.

Between lunch and having to be back to skate, Yuuri and Viktor hung out with Paul, Chris, and Phichit playing cards and watching social media. Yuuri felt abnormally relaxed as he pulled on his costume. “Hmm. Probably a good thing this is the last time I’m skating this program.”

Yakov looked him over critically. “You’re right. You’ve grown a bit. Have you been hungrier than usual?”

“Not really. I don’t think I’m preparing for a growth spurt, it’s still too early for my family.”

“Still, next season, I want you trying on your costumes a couple weeks before your events so that if they need alterations we have time.”

“Yes, Coach.”

“Are you ready for this?”

“For the growth spurts? Is anyone ever ready for that.”

Yakov harrumphed, but he was hiding a smile. “For your skate.”

“Oh! Yes. Nothing’s changed, I just have to go out and do what I did in Kadoma. I can do that.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

Yuuri’s program was a lower difficulty than several of the others’. He made up for some of it in performance, but when Clarien St-Denis from Canada did a quad salchow, Yuuri freaked out a little. Yakov calmed him down, reminding him that Clarien had done very poorly the day before, and even with the quad was unlikely to be top five. Chris performed spectacularly, pushing himself well up into first. Yuuri was unlikely to catch him.

Yuuri took the ice to loud cheering. His skating was easy, confident, until he put a hand down on a triple flip. He recovered from that reasonably well, and with no further major mistakes, Yuuri found himself stopping on what would be another high score. It was the best finish to a season he’d ever had.

Yakov, of course, didn’t go easy on him. He didn’t beat his score from Kadoma, thanks to the stumble. He got 123 for the day, for a total of very close to 192. That put him in second. Yuuri would get a medal, and it was up to Paul to determine whether it was silver or bronze. Paul went out and skated a good program, but not quite good enough to take Chris’s gold away from him. He did knock Yuuri down to bronze.

The medal around his neck didn’t feel real. Standing there with Chris and Paul didn’t feel real. The constant photographs didn’t feel real. Even during the press interview, nothing felt real.

“Yuuri, you said earlier that you would move up to Seniors if you won gold. Bronze isn’t gold, obviously, but does the medal mean that you’ll move up?”

“That’s a decision I still have to make. I’ve been focused on getting here and earning this bronze. I’ll be evaluating my options over the next few weeks.”

“What would keep you in Juniors, knowing that you can compete with the Seniors?”

“For one thing, I’d like to redeem myself from this year’s disappointment in the Grand Prix series. That will be much more difficult in the senior division.”

There were a few more questions, and Chris and Paul both confirmed their intention to join the senior division next season. Chris threw the reporters a wink. “I’ve had a season against Yuuri, now I want to skate against Viktor.”

They let them go after that, and Yuuri walked off, still not feeling like this was real. Any minute now, he should be waking up. Viktor found him and hugged him. Yuuri smiled at him. “Are you going to kiss my medal?”

Viktor shrugged. “I’m a dragon, remember? Dragons only kiss gold!”

“Where’s Chris, I wonder? Because he has a gold medal so your dragon can get its fix…”

After finding Chris and both kissing the medal, much to Chris’s delight, they headed back to their room. Things still didn’t feel real as Yuuri took off the medal and set it on the nightstand. Of all things, it was brushing his teeth that finally caused things to sink in. He’d done it. He’d medaled at Junior Worlds. He’d repaid Viktor and Yakov’s faith in him, his parents’ and Minako’s trust that this would be for the best for him, everyone in Russia’s belief. It was too much. Yuuri started struggling to breathe.

Viktor came in and wrapped him up tight. “Yuuri? What’s wrong?”

Viktor waited patiently while Yuuri got himself back under control. “Nothing. Just… everything hit me all at once and it overwhelmed me. Thank you for being here.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri spends all the time he has to make his decision. Viktor returns to the ice. Yuri goes to Moscow, and it doesn't go as anyone expected.

Yakov had asked Yuuri to have an answer about moving up when Worlds was over. “If you’ve made up your mind before then, by all means, let me know, but I’d like to know before I start any kind of planning.”

“What do you think I should do, Yakov?”

“I think that you’re ready for Seniors, if you want to move up, but that there are some good reasons to put it off another year. The big concern I have about you is that you went from not even competing internationally to having a breakout year and winning several medals, including at Worlds. Following that up with a move to Seniors where you probably won’t win as many medals could get into your head. I’ve seen it with skaters who don’t usually have anxiety, and with you… it could take you years to recover. If you choose to move up, I’ll support it, and we’ll start working on a quad jump as soon as you tell me.”

“Thanks. That’s very helpful.” It was good to hear someone else put his big fear into words – that this year would be seen as a fluke if he couldn’t follow it up with another successful season. That would just bring all the dying rumors right back. “Would it look like I’m avoiding Viktor?”

“To anyone who already thinks you and Viktor couldn’t possibly handle competing against each other, yes, it probably will. To anyone who has some goddamn sense, it looks like you doing what you think is best for you. There’s no pleasing everybody. If you stay in Juniors, you’re avoiding competing against Viktor. If you move up, Viktor made you do it, or you did it for Viktor, or to stay with Chris and Paul.”

Over the next month, Yuuri spent a lot of time thinking. His rinkmates all had opinions, of course. Misha thought he should stay in juniors. “Between me, Georgi, and Viktor, Yakov’s already got three senior men’s skaters. You’re not Russian, so Nationals and Europeans wouldn’t be a problem, but can you imagine Yakov at Worlds next year if all four of us make it? And then there’s the Grand Prix.” Yuri thought he was an idiot for even considering not moving up. “I’m moving up the second I can. Every chance I get. Seniors is where the money is.” Mila thought Yuuri should move up, too. “Yakov won’t let you do quads until you do. Don’t you want to do quads? I do! I want to be the first woman to land a quad.”

Viktor, naturally, had the most complicated opinion. He’d love to see Yuuri in Seniors so they could compete against each other, but staying in Juniors would mean more medals to kiss. Once he moved up, the anxiety over “should I do it” would be gone. If he stayed, he’d get to go through another year of everyone asking. “You’re good enough to compete in Seniors, but you will kill the competition in Juniors, and the extra year of success will be good for your confidence.” In the end, Viktor’s advice boiled down to “Do whatever you want. I’m here for you either way.”

Chris and Yuuko both encouraged him to move up so they’d be in more of the same competitions, although Yuuko acknowledged that Yakov and Viktor had a reasonable point about giving Yuuri a chance to build up more confidence. Phichit wanted Yuuri to stay in Juniors another year. “I know you’ll be out before I’m in no matter what, but it sets the bar higher for when I get up there and start beating your records.”

Lilia didn’t have much in the way of advice, other than to do what he knew was right for him. Minako was more helpful. “In ballet, you push yourself. If you don’t, you lose ground to the people who are pushing harder than you. You have the option of staying back without losing ground. If I were you, I would take it.”

It was certainly a lot to think about.

 

After the first couple days back on the ice, Viktor started going a little nuts about not being able to do the jumps and tricks. He wasn’t going to push it, he’d seen what could happen if you did, but that didn’t make it easy. At least he had Mila and Yuri to keep him company, although Mila was doing jumps.

Off the ice, he’d gotten even more determined to find a good publicist or two. The more the thought about it, the more it made sense for each of them to have their own, and Viktor spend a lot of time emailing back and forth with publicists recommended by the JSF. Finding a Japanese publicist willing to work with Yuuri turned out to be much easier. He got Yuuri to talk to Mihara Renjiro before making it official, but Yuuri liked him a lot and trusted Viktor’s instincts. One huge point in Mihara’s favor was his relationship with Yuuri’s reporter friend Yamada. With that settled, Viktor started looking for a Russian publicist who was willing to work with Mihara. That turned out to be much easier than finding one willing to represent both Viktor and Yuuri, and he signed with Isaak Shulichenko shortly before Worlds.

 

Yuuri hadn’t decided by the time Yakov left to take Misha and Georgi to Worlds. Viktor had volunteered to take Yuri to Moscow to see his family, and Yuuri decided to go with them. On the train up, Yuri kicked Yuuri’s leg. “Are you still thinking about not moving up?”

“I’m still thinking about it. I’m going to decide this weekend.” He'd better, but he was still torn.

Yuri kicked him again. “You should move up.”

“I know you think so. You’ve certainly told me enough.” Yuuri pulled his legs up before Yuri could deliver another kick, leading to the boy kicking empty air.

“Mama will tell you, too. She knows.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

Nikolai Plisetsky and Irina Plisetskaya were very welcoming to Viktor and Yuuri. Irina was doing much better, and had started doing some modeling work. She was still easily exhausted and couldn’t do much, but she was improving. Yuuri hadn’t planned to bother her for advice, but Yuri brought it up for him. “It’s different for girls, Yuuri. I waited out the worst of my body changes in puberty before moving up. You don’t necessarily get that option. If you move up now, you’ll get in before the worst of it, but you’ll have to go through it all either way.”

Yuri was a very different child around his mother and grandfather. In St. Petersburg, he rarely smiled, and spent nearly all his time either at the rink, doing schoolwork, or playing with his cat. In Moscow, he was a much happier boy, smiling all the time and always willing to do whatever he was asked. Yuuri had never heard Yuri laugh before.

The determination and focus came back while they watched Worlds. Misha finished the day in first place, with Georgi in ninth. Not bad. Viktor watched the skating with a look of longing. “I should be there. Misha and I could have both taken medals.”

“You’ll get there next year, Vitya. You and Misha and Georgi all will.”

“If Georgi can hold on. He should be able to, but stuff happens.”

“For that matter, if Misha can hold on. Like you said, stuff happens.”

Misha did hold on, taking gold over Cao Bin’s silver and Kaleb Hagel of Germany’s bronze. Georgi actually moved up, finishing in seventh. “Perfect! All three of us get to go next year!” Viktor cried. “Four if you join us. Of course, you’re coming anyway, Yakov has no good excuse to not let you come.”

The last night there, Nikolai cleared his throat after dinner. “Yurotchka, your mother’s improved quite a lot. She and I were thinking that you might want to come home soon.”

For a moment, Yuri vibrated with joy. That faded quickly as the implications set in. “But what about skating? Yakov’s in St. Petersburg.”

“We can find you an instructor here. Yakov doesn’t usually work with kids your age.”

“But he’s been working with me!”

Irina sighed. “These are special circumstances, Yuri. We’ve already imposed on him for so long already, I’m not sure we can ask for any more, and…”

The happy Yuri vanished with Irina’s words, and he stormed off to his room. Irina gave Viktor and Yuuri an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry about him. He’s never like that.”

Viktor and Yuuri exchanged glances, silently agreeing not to disagree out loud, anyway. “We’ll check with Yakov, but I don’t think he’ll mind keeping Yuri on. We all admire his drive at the rink.”

“Yakov has already done too much in the name of our old friendship. I cannot continue to take advantage of his kindness. Yuri is far too young to attract sponsorship, and without sponsors, there is simply no way Irina and I could pay Yakov’s fees.”

Yuuri understood that. He’d managed to get enough sponsors that his parents could manage the rest, and since his medal in junior worlds, he’d gotten many more offers. With the deals he’d worked out, his parents would have to pay almost nothing if he stayed in Juniors, and he would be bringing in more money than he needed when he moved to seniors.

Viktor did not understand. “So if Yuri can get enough sponsorship, you’ll let him stay?”

“In a few years, when he is old enough to compete and attract sponsorship, I’ll send him back if Yakov will take him,” Irina promised.

“He can attract sponsors now! You haven’t seen him in practice. There are sponsors who are happy to invest in a prospect they see potential in, and if they can’t see the potential in Yuri, they are blind.”

Irina shook her head. “Those sponsors are vultures. They’ll treat Yuri like their slave.”

“Yakov would never allow that. He looks out for his skaters.”

“Yakov wouldn’t have much choice. We’ll speak to Yakov about bringing Yuri and Potya home after World’s.” As far as Nikolai and Irina were concerned, the subject was closed.

 

Yuri sulked and Viktor seethed on the train ride home. Yuuri would have tried harder to calm them both down if it weren’t for the fact that tomorrow morning, he needed an answer for Yakov, and he still didn’t have one. He knew what he wanted to do, and he knew what he felt he ought to do, and they weren’t the same.

“Are there really sponsors who would invest in Yuri this young?” Yuuri asked as he and Viktor settled in for the night at Lilia’s.

“Well… Irina’s not wrong, most of them believe that they own you. There are a few who are different, but Yuri doesn’t have anything to worry about.”

“Why not?”

“Because the sponsor I have in mind won’t try to force Yuri into anything. Once Yakov’s done with you, I need to steal him for a long conversation.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me…” He had less than twelve hours to make a decision, and he was still torn. Sleep was going to be a long time coming.

“Yuuri.” Viktor got up from his nest on the floor and sat beside his soulmate on the bed. “I’ve given you a lot of advice about this, and you’ve gotten a lot of advice from others, and it’s about 95% crap. Here’s the only thing that matters: follow your heart. Make the decision that is true to yourself. You know what that is, I can see it in your eyes, so do it. Those of us who love you, no matter what advice we’ve given in the past, we will all stand behind you.”

 

The next day, Yuuri didn’t wait for Yakov to call him over for a meeting. As everyone else took the ice for warmups, he went to his coach. “I’m staying in Juniors one more season. I have too much to prove to myself to move up just yet.”

Yakov nodded, completely unsurprised. “I’ll notify the JSF and make sure your registration is in order. This year, Junior Grand Prix Finals, yes?”

“Yes, Coach. And a return trip to the Junior Worlds podium.”

“Excellent. Now go get to work. You won't get there if you start slacking off.”

Yuuri started toward the ice, but turned back. “Viktor wants to talk to you.”

Yakov raised an eyebrow. “This should be interesting. Is it about you?”

“No, sir. It’s about Yuri.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans for the next year begin. Yakov goes missing.

After a brief discussion, Yakov and Viktor disappeared. Yuuri didn’t see them again for nearly three hours. When Viktor came back, he was smiling, and he stopped to ruffle Yurio’s hair before waving Yuuri over. “Come on! It’s offseason. We should go goof off. I think there’s a sheep-shearing contest we could go watch!”

“Viktor!” Yuuri lost the fight against the laughter. “I should make you pay for that by calling your bluff.”

“You should, but you won’t.”

“No, I won’t." Mostly because he wasn't going to punish himself like that. "You haven’t skated a bit today, don’t you want to get out here?”

“Not today. Didn’t you notice I didn’t even bring my skates to the rink?”

“No, I didn’t.” Although now that Viktor mentioned it, his skates were at Yakov’s place, and he hadn’t gone there between getting back from Moscow and coming to the rink. “Is everything okay with your ankle?”

“Yes, yes, it’s fine, I’m hoping the doctor will clear me to start doing more with it when I go see her tomorrow. Come on, we’ll be back hard at it tomorrow, well, day after for me probably. Let’s go play!”

Yuuri looked behind Viktor to Yakov, who nodded his approval of Viktor’s plan. He reached for his skate guards. “Okay. Do you have an actual plan, or are we just going to go wandering?”

“First, lunch. We can figure out the rest of the plan from there!”

 

Lunch was sandwiches and then it was off to watch some horse races. “So I was thinking about vacation…”

“Oh boy, that’s not scary.” Yuuri looked away from watching the horses load into the gates, eager to hear what sort of extra Viktor was going to come up with. “What were you thinking?”

“Well, obviously, we’ll probably want to spend some time in Hasetsu.”

“But…?” Yuuri prompted. Viktor wouldn’t want to talk about it if it were just Hasetsu.

“I’ve been talking to Phichit, and he’s out of school this month, and invited us to come to Thailand for a bit. His parents are taking him and his brothers and sisters to the beach on the 18th and staying for a week, and we could meet them there. It does run into opening us up to press attacks…”

“But it means hanging out with Phichit for a week! And we could leave from there to go to Hasetsu. That sounds great to me, if Yakov says we can go!”

“It’s April. Yakov won’t mind. Can you believe it’s been a year?”

Yuuri couldn't. “It feels both like it was yesterday that we were in Hasetsu packing up to move me here and like I’ve been here forever.”

 

Yakov wasn’t at the rink the next day, much to everyone’s surprise. Viktor wasn’t there either, because he was at the doctor. None of the others had any idea where Yakov had gone. Misha was the most bewildered. “He never takes vacations. He says he gets more than enough traveling riding herd on us. He’d have at least said something if he were sick or hurt, but all he said when he called and told me to take charge was that he’d be gone for a couple days and to call or text if something big happened.”

“Maybe he’s just old and decided to take a couple days off,” Yuri scoffed.

Mila stuck out her tongue at Yuri. “Maybe he just wanted a couple days of not having to see your ugly face.” She skated away as Yuri came after her, which turned into a game of ice tag.

“Children.” Georgi shook his head with a smile as he went to start practicing spins.

“So… since Yakov’s not here, want to try learning a quad toe loop, Yuuri?” Misha said.

Yuuri shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I wouldn’t have enough practice time away from Yakov to really get it, and since I’m not going to use it this year… best to focus on improving what I do have.”

“Fair enough. Although if you wanted, you could argue with Yakov that since you’ll be competing in at least one senior competition, it’s worth practicing now.”

“I should still wait until I know for sure that he’ll approve it.” Yuuri skated off to practice his free skate, then realized he didn’t need to. It was done. He started skating some compulsory figures instead so he could have his brain free to think about themes for the next season.

When Viktor got to the rink, he didn’t look surprised not to see Yakov. He handed the doctor’s note to Misha and got out on the ice to warm up. Misha whooped and started chasing Viktor, signaling to Yuuri to help. Yuuri had no idea what was going on, but he joined in the chase. Georgi herded the two kids out of the way. Viktor grinned and did a toe loop away from Yuuri when Yuuri got close to catching him. “Viktor!”

“I’m allowed! Nothing more than singles for a week, but I can start doing jumps again.” Viktor was so pleased with his jump that he didn’t notice Misha behind him until it was too late and Misha had him in a bear hug.

“Hey. Viktor. You got any idea where Yakov is?” Misha asked when he let go.

Viktor shrugged and winked. “He and Lilia ran off to Maui to get remarried, I think.”

“If you don’t know, just say so, don’t go making up ridiculous shit.” Misha swatted Viktor’s head and then took off to get back to skating.

“Where is he, Viktor?” Yuuri asked quietly.

Viktor shook his head. “He made me promise not to say anything. I’m sorry, Yuuri.”

“Oh. But he’s okay?” That's what was important.

“Yes. He’s fine.”

 

Yakov got back two days later, walking into the rink and immediately calling Yuri off the ice. At first, Yuri refused to go. Viktor picked him up and carried him over to Yakov, who put the boy’s guards on his blades. “Viktor, you should come too.”

Yuri scowled. “What’s it matter to Viktor that I’m getting sent home? You can just tell me. You went to Moscow to talk to Grandpa and now I have to go home.” He folded his arms and sat on the floor.

“I did go to Moscow to talk to your grandfather and your mother.” At that, everyone stopped even pretending not to be paying attention and came over to the side of the rink. “Irishka has been offered an opportunity, a modeling job that won’t fatigue her too much, but would require her to go to Yekaterinburg for several weeks. If this goes well, other jobs may follow, but travel would be required. It’s a great opportunity for her, but she was about to turn it down for you.”

“Why? Grandpa can look after me if he doesn’t have to look after her. She shouldn’t be turning down any work.”

“She misses you. She hates that you had to be sent away for so long, so young.”

“So? You changed her mind?” Yuri's voice shook a little.

Yakov nodded. “If you’re not there, there’s no reason for her to stay to spend time with you. I took a sponsorship offer up there to run by her, and she and Kolya both signed.”

Viktor squealed, drawing glares from Yakov and Yuri and questioning looks from everyone else. “Sorry, Yakov!” He clapped his hands over his mouth.

“You’re fully funded for three years of coaching and rink fees, as well as having money provided for equipment costs. In three years, things will be renegotiated on the assumption that you’ll be competing and winning.”

It was clear Yuri wanted to believe it, but didn't. “Yeah? And what’s this sponsor expecting to get out of this? Mama said people who sponsor kids act like they own them.”

“They expect that in three years, when you’re eligible to enter the novice division, you’ll go in as a winner. They consider this an investment in a future star.”

“So, what… advertising? Wearing their crap, doing commercials and photoshoots?”

Misha shrugged. “You know, that's nothing that a regular sponsor wouldn’t expect from you.”

Yuri got to his feet, staring hard at Yakov. “And Mama agreed to this?”

“Yes. She did. Your grandfather, too.”

"Then why am I not on the ice? I only have three years to become the best!” He got back out on the ice and started working.

“Good question. That goes for ALL of you! You’re here to skate, not stand around gawping like fish!” Yakov shouted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not the end! Part four will be starting Soon (tm).
> 
> Remember when I thought I was 2-3 chapters from the end, back in Part 1? :D

**Author's Note:**

> If you have suggestions for ships you'd like to see in this 'verse, please let me know in the comments!
> 
> Already done: Otayuri, Leoji, Christmas (Chris and Mystery Man Masumi), Milasara and Emimike, Chulacometti, Makkachin/Vicchan, Marichu, Seungchuchu, Minami/Yurio/Otabek.  
> On the list to write in whatever order I get ideas for them: JJBella, Otachu, Plinami, JJ/Seung Gil, Phichit/Leo/Guang Hong, Mari/Kokei, JJBek, Christophe/Georgi, Yakov/Nikolai, Yakov/Lilia, Mila/Phichit, Yurio/Phichit.


End file.
